Aspen Behavioral Health recognizes that the effects of addiction or mental health problems are not only specific to the addicted person, and the causes of substance abuse can be varied and complex – family issues can contribute to and prolong the illness of addiction or mental health problems. In fact, addiction is sometimes referred to as a “family disease.” The mental, physical, and social health effects of addiction can extend to people that have never used a drug or consumed a sip of alcohol. Truly, no one is immune to the reach of addiction, especially the family members of an addicted person.
Aspen Behavioral Health endorses the belief that addiction is a family disease, and it is unjustified to place all the responsibility on the individual using substances to begin healing the family unit. One person cannot repair the extensive damage caused by the addiction.
Aspen Behavioral Health understands that family can be defined according to the individual’s closest emotional and supportive connections. Our clients are assisted by our clinicians to identify who they think should be included in therapy; our clinicians do not dictate which individuals make up a client’s family. We believe it is critical for clients to identify people who are important in their lives, and are instrumental in providing sober support, maintaining the client’s outside household, providing financial resources, and with whom there is a strong and enduring emotional bond may be considered family for the purposes of therapy
