A Family Support Guide to Addiction
Addiction does not only affect the person caught in the behaviour. It can quietly change the whole family.
Whether the difficulty is gambling, gaming, shopping, pornography, compulsive digital use or another addictive pattern, partners and parents can find themselves living with secrecy, broken promises, financial worry, arguments and the exhausting feeling that they need to keep checking what is happening.
I created this guide for families because support should not begin and end with the person experiencing the addiction.
We look at what can sit underneath compulsive behaviour, how to talk about what you are seeing, how to put practical boundaries in place, how to avoid becoming the recovery police, what to do when somebody is not ready to change, and how to protect your own emotional and practical wellbeing.
I have also included sections specifically for parents, partners and wider family, along with book recommendations and UK support information, including help for families affected by gambling.
You are allowed to support somebody without losing yourself in their addiction.
Maggie
Space to Breathe Therapy
