Real Talk For Families Who Have a Loved One in Addiction

Lately, we’ve been talking more here at Harper Therapy about how we can help a very special population, the families of people who are struggling with addiction. So often, it feels like you are all alone in the fight with nowhere to turn for help and support.

We are trying to change that here by starting a new group for families and friends of addicted loved ones based on Brene Brown’s Rising Strong work. As we start talking more about this work, we thought it would be helpful to talk about the disease of addiction. So often, people who struggle with addiction are considered weak or lacking the mental fortitude to stop using on their own. Fortunately, research done in the last couple of decades has shown that addiction can be tracked to a specific part of the brain called the “reward center”, which is essentially different parts of the brain that communicate via a neurotransmitter called dopamine to motivate behavior. 

Humans are essentially controlled by dopamine. It is released when do the daily activities to survive, like eat, sleep or even have sex. Some people, however, when they use drugs or alcohol have their reward system “hijacked” and they pursue the use of their substance of choice at the expense of everything and anything else, including relationships, jobs, homes, their own health etc. It’s almost like being possessed! It’s important to understand addiction as a disease, otherwise it’s challenging to see that it needs to be treated as such. Similar to other diseases, like diabetes or cancer, proper treatment is necessary. 

At Harper Therapy, our goal is to start a conversation around addiction, specifically as it relates to the people who have loved ones who are struggling with this disease. We want to normalize the conversation about this disease and help to alleviate the stigma surrounding it. If you or anyone you know needs help navigating these rough waters, please call us at (813) 434-3639.