+ Family Recovery Retreat: Intensive Retreat Can Help Families in SUD

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Why Taking an Intensive Retreat Can Help Families in SUD Recovery

Addiction Recovery for Families, Am I being codependent?, BALM, Family Recovery | February 4, 2020
Why Taking an Intensive Retreat Can Help Families in SUD Recovery

Family support programs in SUD treatment help bring awareness of both the family members’ and the struggling loved one’s recovery challenges and needs and can provide  genuine and continuous healing for the family. The education received is invaluable and answers questions such as:

  • How can we improve communication between family members?
  • Which of our behaviors are helping and which are hurting our loved one’s recovery process?
  • What effect can a parent’s SUD have on their children?
  • How does a child’s SUD affect the family?
  • Why should the children be involved in the healing process?[1]

A major goal of family recovery in SUD treatment is prevention—preventing SUD from affecting another member of the family or in generations to come. A study shows that when a family member has SUD, the risk for the family members to develop substance use disorder rises. The most dangerous risk factor that can affect a child’s perception of life and psychological challenges is a parent’s substance abuse behavior.[2] 

Retreat Based Support Program

 

Retreat based programs provide individuals and families the opportunity to spend time on an intensive healing retreat. Addressing the concerns that has a negative impact on a person with SUD’s well-being and its effect on the family are the main focus of these retreats.

 

Intensive family retreats bring the participants awareness of the situation to a deeper level. It provides a place and time for the participants and their coaches to connect and communicate better. Retreats provide a short time away from stress, chaos and the demands of daily life and provides a safe space where participants can slow down, reflect, heal and restore themselves.

 An intensive retreat provides a holistic approach to family recovery.  Addiction in any form is a form of escapism. [3] Most people have a hard time processing their emotions and problems and instead opts for an easier and convenient way to escape confronting their issues head-on. People participating in an intensive retreat are given the time and space to process personal, emotional, psychological and spiritual issues without the fear of being judged.

When a family member dealing with a loved one’s SUD or other use disorder or mental health issue  joins retreats they are given an opportunity to build relationships with people who had the same experience as they did.  Knowing that they are not alone and hearing the testimonies of people who had the same experiences is comforting and provides encouragement to continue the journey to recovery. 

Participants get a deeper understanding of the program and how it helps them. An intensive retreat is designed for the coaches and participants to deep dive into the program with relevant activities. The retreat may be short, but the brief 7 Steps format format helps them address both their own self care needs and their desire to learn and/or solidify the communication skills that immersion in the 7 Steps process provides.

While the year long format of the BALM Family Recovery Program provides ongoing education and transformation for families, an intensive retreat is deemed valuable because of its emphasis on relaxation and restoration[4]. The effective rate of family support is enhanced in a retreat setting because it allows for a deep inner exploration of relationships and communication without the stress of the outside world.

BALM® Intensive Retreat

 

We designed a brief intensive retreat that provides an amazing hands-on experience with the 7 Steps to Be A Loving Mirror® process. We work together with other families and coaches and the participants have the opportunity to enhance their skill set as we go deeper into our peaceful presence.

Knowing what to say and do to help a loved one choose recovery is one of the family’s biggest concerns.  The ability to go within to get quietly calm and then learn and practice words with the potential to reach from your heart to your loved one’s heart is enhanced on retreat.

Deep dive into the 3-day retreat program. BALM® Founder and 7 Steps Creator Beverly Buncher will be joined by BALM® Coach and Facilitator Michael DeForbes, who will bring his special brand of self- inquiry to the experience as we take a deep dive into this transformative process of 7 Steps to BALM® Family Recovery.

For more information click here now.

 

Sources:

  [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64269/

[2] Johnson and Leff 1999 ; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10224196

[3] https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/forms-of-escapism/

[4] https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/modes/residential-treatment

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