Whether it’s your first time seeing a loved one struggle with addiction or you’ve been through this before, we’re here to support you. Santé Center for Healing offers plenty of resources for families of those with addiction. You’re not alone, and there’s a better way forward—with our team by your side every step of the way.
“Take a breath. Exhale. Know that we’re here to support you through this, even if your loved one isn’t extremely ready for treatment.”
– Michelle Luttrell, MA, LMFT-S, MBA, MHA, Chief Operating Officer & Co-Owner
Addiction Is a Disease, Not a Failure
Your loved one didn’t choose to be stuck in the cycle of addiction, and it’s not your fault. Even though it was once considered a “moral failing,” we now know that addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease. That means that it isn’t a one-time issue and that they’ll be challenged even after treatment.
Most people become addicted as a way to cope. Stress—from any source— can be hard to handle, and substances or compulsive behaviors seem like quick, simple ways to feel better. Over time, your loved one’s brain has changed. The addiction hijacks the “feel-good” parts of it. When they can’t use, they can’t cope, and then they feel worse.
There is no cure for addiction, but there are a lot of things that support lasting recovery. Community, especially with close family and loved ones, is one of the most important.
Read More About the Family's Role in Recovery
You Have to Take Care of Yourself
When your loved one is finally getting help for addiction, you might breathe a sigh of relief. You might also be concerned. All of your feelings, no matter how complicated, are valid. While they’ve been in active addiction (what it’s called when they’re engaging in substance use or compulsive behaviors), you’ve been going through a crisis. It doesn’t matter how well you may have masked it; you’ve been handling a lot.
As your loved one gets the help they need, you’ll need to take time to learn how to care for yourself. You might be learning a true self-care routine for the first time ever, or you might be reconnecting with one for the first time in a while.
Tips for Self-Care
- Eat something nutritious
- Get some sleep
- Exercise, even going for a walk counts
- Consider getting your own therapy
- Disconnect from the web as much as you can for some time
- Journal and write down your feelings
- Try meditating and giving yourself space to just be
How Does Addiction Treatment Work?
Rehab is generally done in phases that go from more intensive to less intensive. As your loved one makes progress, they’ll have more flexibility in their routine and more confidence in their recovery. Santé provides a full continuum of care, so your loved one can get every level of treatment they need to start recovery on the right footing.
Explore what the experience is like at different points during the treatment process by clicking the links below.
Family Can Make Rehab More Approachable
Addiction is a family disease, and it’s a cycle, but it’s not yours to take on. Your loved one will need to do the hard work of showing up for treatment and being committed to recovery. But they should also have a say in where they go. You can support their recovery and decision to get treatment by including them in the process of finding somewhere to get help. Be open that you are concerned about their addiction, but empathize that this will be a hard journey forward. Respect their opinions, honor their decisions, and, above all, empower them when they’re ready to change.
“The way you drop them off today may not be how they are in two weeks. You’ve got to give it a little bit of time and know that, as we work with them, as they have more distance between them and the substance, you will start to see your old family member back.”
– Michelle Luttrell, MA, LMFT-S, MBA, MHA,
Chief Operating Officer & Co-Owner
With Santé since 2013
Why Choose Santé Center for Healing?
The Santé team knows that, even though your loved one is in treatment, everyone in the family needs space and resources to heal. At the very beginning of treatment, our Family Communications Coordinator reaches out to everyone in the family to get a better idea of what they’ve experienced around the client in rehab. From there, we personalize our approach to treatment and how we support your family.
Our Family Support Resources
Community is one of the most important aspects of recovery, which is why we involve family in the treatment process as much as possible. From licensed experts delivering family therapy to education about addiction to loved ones who may not know what the road ahead looks like.
Types of Family Support
Santé offers clients and their families long-term, clinical recovery services spanning immediate clinical needs to less acute therapeutic transitions. Our Master’s-level intake counselors conduct initial confidential assessments to identify exactly what each client needs and establish the appropriate level of care. We provide:
Visitation: We believe that positive family support can help support long-term recovery. In person visitation is available on Saturday afternoons. After their first weekend in treatment, each client may have up to 2 adults attend visitation per weekend, along with any children. Visitation occurs in the Welcome Center building. Online zoom visitation is available for those families who are not able to attend in person.
Family Therapy Series: This set curriculum is shared in individual sessions with family members within their loved ones’ first 30 days at Santé. This series is divided into three 1-hour sessions and can be completed in-person or online. Topics include: What is Addiction; Codependency & Boundaries; Family Rules & Roles.
Family & Friends Support Group: Family & Friends Support Group is open to those with loved ones at Santé. This is a two-part group. The first half of the session is psychoeducational with rotating topics. During the second half of the session, a staff-facilitated support group provides a space where loved ones ask questions & move from the education provided into the realities of how to implement. It’s where family and friends find hope, share wisdom & cheer successes.
Two-Day Family Intensives: At Santé, we’ve seen our clients and family members benefit extensively from individualized intensives with just the client and their family. This provides a safe environment for the difficult conversations needed to allow families to process and heal. This level of therapy isn’t utilized until the residential client has been at Santé for at least 30 days. Both the client and the family need to be stronger in their recovery programs, have support in place, and be prepped in advance for the life-changing work at hand.
Community Resources for Families of Those in Active Addiction
There are also plenty of resources right here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for families of people with addiction. We work with many of these organizations to make sure we’re bringing the right type of care to the people in our area who need it.
- Al-Anon Family Groups
- Nar-Anon Family Groups
- Families Anonymous
- SMART Recovery Family & Friends
- Recovery Dharma Family and Friends Sangha
- National NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
- NAMI North Texas
- Winning the Fight
- Parents Helping Parents
- National Mental Health America
- Mental Health America of Greater Dallas
Reach Out to Santé's Family Team Anytime
We’re here when you need support. Addiction affects families, not individuals. Reach out whenever you want. Our team is here to lend a listening ear or give you advice for the road ahead. Get in touch with us online or call 866.238.3154.
