If we add drug addiction to the mix of the relationship, then the statement that addiction is a family disease makes sense. Everyone in the family is affected. My belief is that everyone gets injured by the disease. Or put in another way, everyone gets lost. The addicted person is lost in the chemicals and the significant people in the relationship with them lose themselves in their focus on the dependent person. The primary effect is the breakdown in our ability to help each other get our needs met.

In a very primary way a renegotiation of the relationship must begin if a relationship is to survive and grow. Each person must focus on themselves to identify what it is that they need. The drug addicted person must identify what they need to put recovery in their very life. The family member must find the ability to focus on themselves. Feelings and what a person needs or desires must be learned to be talked about again.

I found William Glasser\’s approach to our human needs practical and helpful as a way for those newly in drug addiction treatment to begin to talk and to renegotiate the relationship. He would say we are driven by five human needs, Survival (in our culture, Money) Love and Belonging, Freedom, Power, and Fun. Each of us varies in the amount of each of these. Our negotiations begin in figuring out what our individual needs are. What exactly trips my own trigger! (DNA) A simple place to begin is to make some guesses on a scale of one to five on each of the five human needs. Then share your results with each other. If you are two or more apart in any given category this will be the area(s) where negotiations will need to occur.

I found William Glasser\’s approach to our human needs practical and helpful as a way for those newly in drug addiction treatment to begin to talk and to renegotiate the relationship. He would say we are driven by five human needs, Survival (in our culture, Money) Love and Belonging, Freedom, Power, and Fun. Each of us varies in the amount of each of these. Our negotiations begin in figuring out what our individual needs are. What exactly trips my own trigger! (DNA) A simple place to begin is to make some guesses on a scale of one to five on each of the five human needs. Then share your results with each other. If you are two or more apart in any given category this will be the area(s) where negotiations will need to occur.

The purpose of providing drug treatment services is to improve the quality of life of those receiving services as measured by abstinence from alcohol and other substances, as well as by increased life satisfaction, improved family relationships, marital stability, job and career performance and financial stability.

Go to www.valleyhope.org to learn more.

Raymond E. Colligan, Counselor
www.valleyhope.org

Raymond E. Colligan, Counselor
http://www.valleyhope.org

Author Bio: Raymond E. Colligan, Counselor
www.valleyhope.org

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: drug addiction treatment, alcohol rehab, drug rehab, drug rehab centers