Does the family need treatment when an alcoholic goes into rehab?
Yes. Alcoholism is a family disease because everyone in the
family is affected in some way by the actions of the alcoholic.
Children may feel responsible because in their immature minds, they
believe if they were better children, the alcoholic would not
drink. Spouses may inadvertently promote the drinking without
understanding how they could be doing it.
Also, when an alcoholic goes into treatment the only thing that
changes is the alcoholic. If the family dynamics don't change, the
alcoholic is returning to the same toxic environment. While the
family is not the cause of the drinking, a slippery slope exists
giving the alcoholic an "excuse" to go back to drinking.
It is important for the family to remember that they did not
cause the alcoholic to drink, they cannot control the drinking and
they cannot stop the alcoholic from drinking.