The Palm Beach Institute provides a program for family's effected by an alcoholic or drug addict who are in Florida substance abuse treatment.  The program consists of weekly meetings at The Palm Beach Institute and are led by a therapist.  Each week the family members participate in education and groups designed to help the deal with the issues that often confront family members effected by an alcoholic or drug addict.  From the perspective of The Palm Beach Institute, addiction is an, “infectious” illness.  Let us explain:

When someone you love or care about becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, the family members suffer as well.  This suffering consists of emotional and psychological issues that can even manifest themselves physically.  When a child, spouse, sibling or parent becomes an alcoholic or drug addict they often “turn into someone else”.  This change creates instability, causes confusion or fear.  

Sometimes family’s finances are affected creating stress.  Behaviors that accompany the lifestyles of an alcoholic or drug addict include dishonesty and outright lying, betrayal, secretiveness, outburst of anger, unpredictability and so on.  When family members are exposed to this and experience the emotional consequences, they are infected.  The illness is now inside them as well.  If you have laid awake  at night wondering what to do or if your alcoholic or drug addict loved one will come home and you are not sleeping, then you have been affected. Sometimes when families first get their loved one into treatment, there is a little bit of relief.  “At least I know they are safe tonight”, we often hear.  As time passes families begin to get concerned about when their loved one comes home…what will it be like or what do I do.  Should I drink in front of them.  Or after the relief passes, anger and resentment emerge for all the damage that has been caused.