Families you cant live with them,

1
Families you cant live with them, you
cant live without them!Alan Murnane and Angela
IrelandFamily Drug Help, Victoria, Australia

• For every person with an addiction there are 5
  other people affected

2

• What are the barriers for AOD services in
  relation to engaging families? What makes it
  difficult?
• What are the benefits of engaging with families?

3
Action for Recovery Course
ARC

• Week one presentation
• Presenter Angela Ireland

4
ARC Program
1. Steps to change for families 2. Boundaries
personal responsibilities 3. Binge drinking /
understanding worry grief 4. Dialogue with
a person in recovery 5. Where to from here?
5
1. What is the addiction cycle
The stages of change - Pre contemplation -
Contemplation - Preparation - Action - Maintenance
RELAPSE
6
Stages of Change

• Pre contemplation
• - the happy user, un-aware of problems, no
  intention to change
• Contemplation
• - aware of problems, no intention to change in
  the foreseeable future
• Preparation
• - planning to change, information seeking
• Action
• - modifying and changing behavior
• Maintenance
• - stabilizing drug free life style

7
RELAPSE

• can be part of the process
• a short lapse
• a longer relapse
• a time when support is needed
• recognition that its possible to get back again

8
2. Do families have a cycle?

• Do we seem to be going around in circles?
• Does the same thing keep happening over and over?
• Are we constantly at the mercy of something we
  cant control?

9
3. Identifying opposing forces

• When an immoveable object meets an irresistible
  force.
• When emotions overwhelm us, and control our
  actions

conflict
chaos
10
4.How can we cope with emotions?

• Identify what is causing the grief
• Acknowledging our worst fears
• Understanding our right to be angry
• Acceptance

11
3. Knowledge is power

• The dance of addiction
• Who is calling the tune?
• How to identify the steps of the dance?
• Can we change the dance steps?

12
6(a).How can you plan for change?
The negative cycle
13
6(b).How can you plan for change?
The positive cycle
14
Mirroring behaviour

• Mirrioring Behaviour

Whose cycle are you in now?
15
RELAPSE

• Old habits are hard to break
• As with the addiction cycle change is hard, even
  when youre not on drugs
• What are the triggers that cause you to relapse?

16
7.Develop our own plan

• Explore why the old cycle didnt work
• Use only I statements I would like to .
• Keep the focus on yourself
• Be aware of
• conflict of the opposing forces
• chaos of our emotions
• mirroring behavior
• Identify what causes you to lapse

17
Family Drug Help
steps for change
ARC

• Action for Recovery Course

18

• From your experience what do you imagine are the
  ways that families can change

19
Ways that families change at Family Drug Help

• Learning
• to respect others and their decisions
• To let go of controlling behaviour
• Self care
• How to take the focus off the drug use and look
  at behaviour
• Dealing with the stigma of drug use
• Moving away from blame
• Acceptance

20
Ways that families change at Family Drug Help

• Understanding
• What we do control
• Stages of change/ relapse
• Not to blame ourselves
• Reducing our judgement
• That as family we are only one factor in the
  scenario

21
What did you notice about those lists?
22

• Working with families is about a parallel
  process.
• Individual growing and taking responsibility
• Everyone in the family gains from one individuals
  growth

23
Agency Opportunities

• Display Family Drug Help promotional literature
• Provide FDH material to family members
• Dial the Helpline for distressed family members
• Refer family members
• To ARC program/counselling
• To the Helpline
• To local family support groups
• Listen to family members without being the
  advocate for your client.
• Consultation with FDH

24
Family Drug Help Conclusion

• support for family members can be another
  intervention for your CLIENT?