One of my favorite books is titled The Missing Piece. The author Shel Silverstein describes an almost whole circle that seeks a “missing piece” to complete it. This began me thinking about the search for a missing piece in addiction recovery to reduce those incredibly high relapse rates.

When we think about recovery, we often focus on the individual: therapy, medication, support groups. These are all essential “pieces”, but what if a "missing piece" is actually the family? Recovery is often seen as an individual journey but, addiction impacts not just the person, but their entire family who should play a critical role in recovery by offering support, understanding, and accountability.

A Page from My Experience

My daughter struggled with substance use disorder and entered an outdoor behavioral program at 15, followed by a therapeutic boarding school. Meeting parents overwhelmed with shame and guilt inspired me to focus on supporting families, so I founded Phoenix Outdoor, a licensed program for adolescents, that took individuals from all over the country. We used a portal to track progress, held virtual support groups, and offered telehealth therapy meetings so we could educate and empower families to make informed decisions for their child after treatment.

And it worked so well that other programs in the adolescent treatment industry followed suit and inspired CRC Health (now Acadia Healthcare) to purchase the program and keep it running for the next 15 years. The family became the key to ensuring they made the best decisions to support their teenagers.

The Family's Role in Recovery

Today, families are often kept at arm’s length when a loved one is in treatment. They may come to a family day and get education about addiction, but they aren’t usually involved in a significant way nor are they assisted in understanding their role in recovery. So, without knowing it, they fail to hold boundaries, communicate poorly out of frustration, and make decisions that are counterproductive to the recovery process.

Studies show that an educated and involved family can significantly lower relapse rates by up to 30%. This isn’t just about being there for your loved one; it’s about actively learning how to deal with the emotional and psychological challenges that come with addiction.

Putting the Family at the Center of a “Circle of Care”

It takes an entire circle of care to help individuals manage the chronic disease of addiction and stay in recovery. This circle could include treatment professionals, therapists, sponsors, friends, and supporters. But given that most people coming out of treatment live with a family member, here are some thoughts about how to help the family complete the circle.

Involve Families Early in the Process: Before and during treatment, educate and involve family members to understand addiction and the recovery process. This helps set expectations and prepares them for their role in supporting their loved one and healing their family.

Provide Ongoing Education and Resources: Offer families access to resources, including recovery education, coping strategies, maintaining boundaries and effective communication to empower them with the knowledge to support their loved one effectively.

Create Clear Communication Channels: Ensure that families have regular access to progress updates, treatment plans, and open lines of communication with the treatment team. This builds trust and ensures everyone is aligned on goals.

Encourage Active Participation in Therapy: Include family members in therapy sessions, support groups, and recovery meetings. Active involvement helps families understand their loved one's challenges and enables them to contribute to healing.

Provide Ongoing Support After Treatment: Recovery doesn’t end when treatment does. Continue supporting families through post-treatment services like check-ins, family counseling, and peer support groups to ensure lasting recovery and maintain the family’s role in the process.

Takeaway

As Shel Silverstein writes, “When the missing piece finally arrives, the circle will be complete.” In the context of addiction recovery, perhaps the missing piece is the family, the people who love and care for the person in recovery, and who can play an essential role in helping them heal.

The journey to recovery isn’t one that should be walked alone. The family can be the anchor, the support system, and the motivation needed to ensure long-term success. By embracing the role of the family as part of the recovery process, we can help reduce those high relapse rates and build a stronger foundation for lasting recovery.