Living with an addiction is both heartbreaking and exhausting.
Family members are torn between how to help the addict and how to avoid supporting the addiction. Through interviews with experts and with families who have experienced the addiction of a loved one, this video will offer hope-filled support in the form of practical information, advice from others who have been there, and the power of shared experiences.
Topics discussed include:
Understanding addiction
Addiction affects the whole family
Grieving the loss of the person you once knew
Pitfalls for families when dealing with addiction
Feelings of guilt/shame/stigma
Dealing with denial, fear, hopelessness and despair
Detaching with love
The importance of educating oneself about addiction
Suggestions for recovery and where families can turn for help
Featuring interviews with these experts:
Phillip Valentine, Executive Director Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR)
Dr. Domenic Ciraulo, MD Professor and Chairman, Division of Psychiatry and Psychiatrist-in-Chief, Boston Medical Center
Terri Blackstock, NY Times best selling author Booklist Online REVIEW.
First published January 9, 2014
Featuring interviews with medical experts, recovering addicts, and family members, this supportive program delves into the complexity of addiction, offering information and help to those dealing with addicts. The program is structured into chapter headings: 'Understanding What Addiction Is'; 'Understanding the Addict'; 'Addiction Affects the Entire Family'; 'Stigma and Shame'; 'Common Difficulties for Families When Dealing with Addiction' (including enabling, fear, grief, and hopelessness); and 'Recovery Is Possible.' Various professionals, including physicians, seen in offices or other settings, advise viewers that addiction is a 'disease of the brain, ' an incurable but treatable condition. Interviewed recovering addicts and family discuss their personal experiences and feelings, including shamefulness and despair. Those affected by a loved one's addiction are urged to get counseling and join support groups. The power of prayer and seeking a higher power of one's choosing are also touched upon in this well-produced program, which offers general advice and comfort. Purchase according to demand. - Sue-Ellen Beauregard
