FAMILY AND FRIENDS

How to Help

Typically family members, and those close to the addict/alcoholic, have tried everything possible to ‘help’ the person suffering from the disease of addiction. By the time treatment is considered, family members are suffering themselves. By learning about the disease of addiction, family members can begin to move toward their own recovery and healing process, apart from the individual with the addiction. Thus, family members need treatment and support too!

The best way a family member can help an addict is to seek help for yourself. By getting help for yourself, you will learn how helping in the past may not have worked, and what can be done differently for the whole family to heal. Call us now to find out how-800 997-5504.

Family Programs

• Multi-Family Group: Clients and their family members, or significant others, meet weekly for the duration of treatment in a group of other families. This is an opportunity to learn from other families how to live a lifestyle of recovery, and to utilize Family Therapists for help with change in your family dynamics.
  
  
• Family Support Group: Family members have an opportunity to meet with each other, without the client, for further education and support. This group follows the Multi-Family Group on the same evening, and is facilitated by the Family staff.
  
  
• Family Orientation: All family members and friends are invited to a meeting for orientation to our program, ask questions, and get to know our Family staff.
  
  
• Family Conference: Each client and their family members, or significant others, participate in a conference with their assigned Family Therapist to explore their specific family issues and options for change towards recovery.
  
  
• Family Workshop: Each month there is a three hour workshop for family members only. This is a time for you to learn about the disease, explore your feelings about addiction, learn about codependency and setting boundaries, and discover new ways to care for oneself. The workshop is always the first Saturday of every month (except certain holidays) for all families in treatment, or family alumni of The Sequoia Center’s treatment programs.
  
  
• “What About Me?” Group: This is a fee-for-service group for family members who have participated in The Sequoia Center’s treatment program. Its purpose is to provide ongoing recovery support on a weekly basis with other family members, facilitated by a Family Therapist.

Community Resources

• Al-Anon: www.al-anon.alateen.org
  
  Al-Anon is an organization patterned after AA. Alcoholics Anonymous was begun by Dr. Bob and Bill W. Bill’s wife, Lois W started Al-Anon for the wives of the alcoholics. Today, Al-Aanon is for all persons living with an addict or alcoholic. It is a 12 Step program. Alateen is a 12 Step support program for teenagers who are, or have been, living with an addict/alcoholic.
  
  
• CODA: www.coda.org
  
  CODA is a 12 step program for those who identify strongly with Codependent traits and behaviors. It is a support group to recover from codependency.
  
  
• ACA: www.adultchildren.org
  
  ACA is a 12 step program for those who are adult children of alcoholics, and seek support from similar individuals.
  
  
• NACOA: www.nacoa.org
  
  NACOA is an organization dedicated to the education and support of all children of alcoholics, both children and adults.