News

Taking Care of You

Date: 2020-11-23

When family needs help understanding their loved ones addiction

Addiction affects over 20% of the Canadian population and touches many more lives than the person with the addiction. And their loved ones may struggle with feelings of shame, guilt, anger, fear, anxiety or sadness. It’s especially difficult when a loved one is not ready to acknowledge or get help for their addiction.

To help support family members, St. Joseph’s Care Group (SJCG) offers a Family Program at Sister Margaret Smith Centre (SMSC). It’s available to ANYONE who has a loved one living with a substance or behavioural addiction. It’s free and confidential.

“The Family Program helps loved ones take care of their own mental health first so they are in a better frame of mind to cope,” explains Heather LeBlanc, a Social Worker with the Family Program. Family members are often absorbed into the spiral of an addiction. She uses the analogy of putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others: “You aren’t in a position to help someone else if you can’t breathe,” says LeBlanc.

There are a number of ways we can support family members. You can meet with a counsellor on your own or together with other family members. “Some folks just want to sort out their experience with the addiction, and their relationships, to figure out how they can get out of negative (interactional) patterns,” says LeBlanc.

SMSC also offers education and support provided in a group format. Led by trained family counsellors, each group of participants commits to attending all four progressive sessions. They learn about various topics such as setting boundaries, dysfunctional family roles, the biological effects of addiction, and healthy coping strategies.

The benefits of the Family Program can be significant. “People realize they aren’t alone and feel more comfortable talking about it with others,” says LeBlanc. “Even though the addiction hasn’t gone away, participants feel a weight has been lifted and they can breathe easier, allowing them to cope better,” adds LeBlanc.

If you would like more information about the Family Program, please contact Sister Margaret Smith Centre by calling (807) 684-5100.

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