What To Do When Our Relative Denies His Addiction?

A family interventionist in addictions executes a therapeutic strategy for cases where the addicted person denies the disease

The Work Of A Family Interventionist Consists Of Five Stages :

  1. Analysis of the family situation
  2. Psychoeducation of the disease of addiction in the environment of the addicted person
  3. Decoding emotions concerning the disease
  4. Introduction of communication techniques toward the addicted person
  5. Follow-up of the family environment after the patient’s admission.

In general, denial is one of the most common behavior patterns in this disease. Addicted people do not recognize that they have a problem; quite the contrary: they think that the whole world is against them and sometimes adopt the role of social victims. Thus, the typical reactions of an addict who denies her disease are:

  • They tend to answer evasively.
  • They don’t take responsibility for what happens to them.
  • And they may try to blame the rest of their problems.

When they feel pressured, they react by attacking or defending themselves against what they see as attacks by the family. This generates situations of tension and confrontations. Problems that, due to the discomfort in the family due to addiction, easily lead to violent and unpleasant episodes.

The Work Of The Family Interventionist In Addictions In The Face Of Denial

On other occasions, when people with an addiction problem reject the help offered, they have the following reactions:

  • They are irritable, and it isn’t easy to talk to them
  • They quickly change their minds
  • they are defensive
  • Can’t speak to them
  • They deny that there is or have a problem
  • And they downplay the matter

How do you downplay your addiction? The most heard phrases when you want to help a family member with addiction are usually:

  1. “My case is not serious enough for that.”
  2. “It’s not that bad.”
  3. “Calm down, I’m in control.”
  4. “I don’t have any problem, and I consume because I want to”
  5. “I leave it whenever I want.”

For families and the person himself, it is difficult to accept that there is a problem and that they do not know how to deal with it. The emotions that usually accompany these situations in which you want to help a family member with addiction and cannot are usually:

  • shame,
  • blame,
  • despair,
  • frustration,
  • impotence,
  • Rage,
  • loss of confidence,
  • hopelessness,
  • sadness…

Intervention Service To Help The Addicted Family Member

We offer an intervention counseling and orientation service to the family environment of the person with addiction problems who do not recognize their situation as problematic and do not want help.

Families play a crucial role and are an essential factor in a person’s recovery. There is no doubt that addiction is a problem that affects the person who suffers from it and their environment, which causes a lot of emotional and psychological wear and tear on interpersonal relationships. Situations caused by consumption cause much suffering and impotence to families. And they cause changes and consequences in their relationships. We know there is a lack of knowledge about how to act and manage this reality.

To help your family member in the best possible way, you need to have information.

. How Do We Help You If You Are A Relative Of An Addicted Person?

  • We hear you
  • We give you tools to manage problems,
  • We offer you tools to redirect and improve the situation.