Family Support
Not only is going through detox a daunting experience for the patient, but it’s also unfamiliar territory for the loved one who has been on the journey throughout and is now alone whilst the patient is detoxing.
Our approach
This can be a very scary time, unsure what to expect, unsure how long your loved one with be detoxing and unsure what to expect when they return home. Some may have been through a testing and traumatic time with trust and hearts broken. It’s hard to know how to pick the pieces back up with your loved one and with yourself.
We offer fantastic facilities for families wishing to stay on the Broughton Hall Sanctuary whilst their loved one is undergoing the detox treatment, with a wide range of accommodation.
This section will provide the information you need to know on how to support a loved one and yourself through detox.
FAQs
Based on nearly 25 years worth of experience of over 12,000 patients detoxed under The BONDS Protocols, the majority of patients can be detoxed in 14-28 days. Personalised treatment plans may vary depending on the complexity of the addiction(s) and co-existing mental health or chronic pain problems
Patients are cared for 24 hours a day by our nursing team and so that we can provide as safe an environment as possible. Visitors are not permitted into the inpatient unit where detoxes are taking place. Whilst your loved one is detoxing, you can stay at home and continue your normal routine with the reassurance that we have 24/7 nursing care, or if you wish, you could stay close by to the detox unit such as the neighbouring facilities on the Broughton Hall Sanctuary, but please note that visitors are not permitted into The New Life Centre inpatient unit.
On admission, patients and families will be advised of the planned discharge date so that you can make arrangements for their return. If for some reason, the patient or family is not able to return home, it is really important to make other suitable arrangements. If patients stay longer beyond discharge date for whatever reason, the standard weekly rate will apply.
Patients are only discharged from detox when medically fit to do so (unless they go against medical advice and self-discharge). Therefore, we would usually expect patients to be fairly independent physically and able to dress and wash themselves. Mentally, it can take some time to start to recover from substance/alcohol misuse and our experience is that it usually takes at least three months for this to gradually start to improve. Some of our patients go back to work as soon as they finish the detox, and others need to take a few weeks off work to continue their recovery. Everyone is different and each person needs to be assessed fully. You can discuss this in more detail with the clinical team during assessment.
Therapy – for the loved one
Supporting someone through addiction and misuse can be very important but also very draining. It is important to look after your own mental and physical health. The following can help:
- Counselling / talking therapies can help you get things off your chest and learn good coping strategies in thoughts and behaviours
- Support groups
- Don’t blame yourself!
Nearly 1.5 million adults will be significantly affected by a relative’s drug use*. Almost 1 in 5 adults in the UK (19%) have personal experience of drug addiction either directly themselves or through loved ones or friends, and 1 in 20 have experienced addiction in their family.
You are not alone.
Structured Family Therapy – during inpatient detox and/or when returning home and in receipt of outpatient care
As part of our Family Support Programme, we offer family and friends the opportunity to participate in fortnightly family therapy sessions. Led by our experienced therapy team, family support sessions are excellent opportunities for the patient in treatment and their loved ones to address the ways in which the addiction has impacted on them as individual and as a wider unit.
Family support also provides a structured and supportive environment in which family members can address the difficulties that they have experienced in a healthy and productive manner.
Family members will also learn how to make lifestyle changes that will empower them to live healthier and more satisfying lives, whilst also providing the most effective support to the individual in treatment during their lifelong recovery journey.
The benefits of The New Life Centre Family Support Programme:
- It allows out therapists to gain input from the family, observe how the family interacts with the patient and each other and learn more about family dynamics.
- It can encourage your loved one to continue with their treatment program knowing the family supports them.
- It offers your family member an opportunity to learn how the entire family has been affected by their addiction.
Is there any specific help that The New Life Centre team can provide for the loved one?
Alcohol or substance misuse can be damaging to the person and those trying to support them. Most often, supporting a loved one through addiction is draining. You may need individual therapy to understand what has happened and to help you develop better coping strategies to protect your own mental and physical health. Then, psychological therapies can help with rebuilding a relationship that has been sorely strained.
It is important to:
- Recognise that your role is hard work. It is normal to be stressed by the situation. You are not alone
- Set realistic expectations
- Focus on healthy communication
- Avoid enabling
- Rebuilding trust will take time
- Utilise resources available to you such as psychological therapies and support groups
Need help after detox?
Now that your loved one is detoxed and has been provided with a Consolidation and Relapse Prevention programme, they are ready to come home and continue their recovery. But how do you make sure that the environment they return to is the right one and what happens if they relapse. Read our section on aftercare.
