Support for Relatives in Addiction – Help for Those Who Care

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Addiction does not only affect the person struggling with the addiction but also their family, friends, employers, colleagues and others within the addict’s circle. It is often necessary for family members to receive professional support and to participate in the treatment process and have their voices heard. Many times, family members have done everything they can to help their loved one with addiction problems without the desired outcome. Feelings of powerlessness, frustration and despair are common among relatives.

Often, close family members develop co-dependency and may need support and help to break dysfunctional and harmful relationships. The line between being a concerned relative and developing co-dependency is a thin one and often hard to determine. In many cases, it is not easy to separate the two; help and support may be needed both in how to relate to their loved one and in working with their own co-dependency.

Support for Relatives Affected by Addiction

We offer family support in a safe environment at our clinic in Stockholm, both individually and in groups. This support is aimed at those who have a loved one struggling with addiction and need guidance on how to relate to them.

As part of this process, we work on developing the ability to set healthy boundaries, which in turn increases the chances that your loved one will seek help for their addiction.

You will also receive help and support in expressing your own thoughts and feelings about how being close to someone with addiction has affected you.

Our individual codependency therapy is designed for those who have developed emotional codependency and need support in healing from it.

Codependency is not only about living with someone who has an addiction; it can also encompass a dysfunctional relationship with a partner, parent, or sibling. At its core, codependency is about adapting excessively to someone else, more specifically to the addict in question.

Many people recognize the feeling of “walking on eggshells.” A codependent person often neglects their own needs, prioritizing the needs of the addict instead. Over time, the life of the codependent may begin to revolve more and more around their loved one, leading to a feeling of having lost themselves in the relationship with the addict.

Support Group for Relatives – Guidance and Community

Our family support group is for those who are or have been close to someone struggling with addiction. Here, you will be given the opportunity to share your experiences with others who are currently in or have been in a similar situation. Through the support of the group and the connections made, you will find understanding, guidance, and a sense of community—a vital part of the healing process.

The purpose of the group is to provide you with greater knowledge about addiction and codependency while also helping you understand how the addiction around you has affected you and your life. Through lectures, discussions, and reflections within the group, you will have the opportunity to explore your own thoughts and emotions, establish healthy boundaries, and create a life based on your own needs and desires.

The group meets seven times at our clinic in Stockholm, once a week.

Individual Therapy for Relatives and Codependents

For those in need of more in-depth support, we also offer individual therapy tailored to your unique life situation and needs. Together with your therapist, you will work to understand and heal your codependency, strengthen your self-esteem, and develop new ways to manage relationships and set healthy boundaries.

The number of sessions is determined in consultation with your therapist, and sessions can take place either at our clinic in Stockholm or online.

Therapy for Families Affected by Addiction

Our family therapy aims toward helping the individual struggling with addiction with repairing broken family relationships. Loved ones often carry conflicting emotions, ranging from love and care to anger, grief, disappointment, guilt, and shame.

Through family therapy, they receive support in processing these emotions and the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings—either directly or indirectly—to their loved one.

In a safe and supportive environment, the person who struggles with addiction may sometimes be involved in the therapy process. In other cases where it is thought to be more beneficial to work without the addicted individual, the family works independently with a therapist to navigate their challenges and healing journey.

Our Goal with Family Therapy:

In our experience, involving the family in the treatment process is both beneficial and supportive of long-term recovery.

Intervention

An intervention for addiction is a planned and structured process where family members, and sometimes close friends, come together to confront a loved one struggling with addiction. The goal is to motivate the person to recognize their addiction and seek help.

I The process begins with preparation, during which the group—often with the guidance of a professional interventionist—learns about addiction and carefully plans their statements. These statements describe how the addiction has affected them while expressing care and a desire for their loved one to accept help.

The intervention itself takes place in a safe and supportive environment. Participants share their prepared statements, ensuring they remain calm and focused. The interventionist can facilitate the conversation and ensure the process remains constructive.

If the person agrees to seek help, a treatment plan should be ready with immediate access to a program. If they refuse, the group may need to set boundaries to protect themselves. A well-executed intervention can be a crucial step in breaking the cycle of addiction and beginning the recovery process.

At Blueroom Recovery, our experienced therapists provide professional guidance throughout this process. We support family members in preparing for the intervention and remain in the background during the actual process to ensure the highest chance of the outcome becoming the absolute best for you as family members as well as the client. We can also take an active role in leading the intervention. Our approach is always inclusive and transparent—there are no surprises. The client is always informed about the conversation’s purpose and invited to sit down and talk.