Failure is not an option for many close relatives. Every family system is different, but they do share some commonalities. Families are intended to love and support each other. The best way for a family to support one of their members is to present as a united front. They will learn skills to best approach their addicted loved one with compassion, understanding and unconditional love. The mindset of never giving up will be necessary in between trial, failure and relapse.

The family may not realize that they will also need their own healing process. When someone struggles with an addiction it throws the family into turmoil. Healing from this cycle of addiction takes effort for everyone. Seeking treatment for the addicted loved one is simply not enough; the whole family will need some additional assistance.

A family cannot function and thrive with addiction. A loved one often creates wreckage, and thus putting a huge amount of stress on their family and its support system. The family system may then develop their own unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with stress. They not only need to relearn how to approach their loved one, but how to heal the entire family system as a whole with love.