Family Strategies with Addiction

addiction family support opioid use disorder May 16, 2022

It’s not uncommon to hear that someone who has suffered a traumatic experience now struggles with addiction. However, when working with a loved one with an addiction, we leave our judgments at the curb.

Traumatic events shape you. Whether it’s a childhood experience or something you faced as an adult, these situations change how you see the world and view yourself. It’s not uncommon to hear that someone who has suffered a traumatic experience now struggles with addiction. Unfortunately, too often, trauma leads to alcoholism or drug abuse.

Trauma can affect a loved one, and the family may NEVER KNOW!

Why does this happen? There is a deadly link between trauma and addiction. If you or someone you love has a substance abuse disorder because of trauma, that’s not the end of your story. But, you can find hope, healing, and freedom from the substance holding you captive.

Trauma is more than a negative experience. It’s an event or series of circumstances that have lasting effects on your mental, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual well-being. Trauma causes high levels of stress because your mind and body see this event as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening. Stress triggers the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline — the same hormones that handle your body’s fight-or-flight response.

In an emergency, these bodily chemicals can be valuable, but in high concentrations, they become toxic. Eventually, your body can no longer understand the difference between an actual emergency that requires a fight-or-flight response and your remembrance of an event.

Sometimes, those who experience trauma get stuck in a loop, unable to move past or process what has happened. This trauma can lead to a severe mental health disorder called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While this condition is commonly associated with veterans returning from war or combat, the exact physiological fight-or-flight responses occur in people who experience childhood trauma. Some people may turn to drugs or alcohol to self-medicate and mask their feelings.

There are many types of traumas, with the most common being:

Physical assault
Sexual assault
Rape
Domestic violence
Emotional or verbal abuse
Parental neglect
Bullying or ongoing harassment
Accidents, like car crashes or fire
Natural disasters
Terminal illness

While these are just a few examples, surviving anything you felt your life was in danger can cause PTSD.

Is a Loved One Struggling with an Addiction?

You can take control of your life today!

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🐅 How do you actually communicate under pressure?

Most people think they know how they show up in difficult conversations. Most are surprised when they slow down long enough to look honestly.

The Tiger Mirror is a short, guided self-assessment designed to help you recognize your communication pattern under stress. Not labels. Not judgment. Just clarity.

If you’ve ever stayed quiet, pushed too hard, or walked away replaying conversations in your head, this mirror was built for you.

👉 Step into the Tiger Mirror here - answer these 10 questions below and submit for your results!

When someone interrupts you mid-sentence, your most common response is:

A. I stop talking and let them finish, even if my point never gets said

B. I push back immediately and speak louder or faster

C. I let it go in the moment, but feel frustrated afterward

D. I pause, then calmly reclaim the floor and continue my thought

You are asked to take on extra responsibility that you do not have capacity for. What usually happens?

A. I agree, even though I know it will stretch me too thin

B. I respond sharply or defensively

C. I say yes outwardly, but feel resentful and withdrawn later

D. I acknowledge the request and state what I can realistically take on

When conflict starts to rise in a conversation, you tend to:

A. Shut down and hope it passes

B. Lean in aggressively to regain control

C. Avoid the issue and replay the conversation later in my head

D. Stay present and focus on clarity rather than winning

If someone misunderstands your intention, your first instinct is to:

A. Let it go, even if it feels unfair

B. Correct them forcefully

C. Say nothing, but feel misunderstood afterward

D. Clarify your intention calmly and directly

When you need to ask for something important, how does it usually feel?

A. Uncomfortable. I worry about being a burden

B. Urgent. I feel tense and keyed up

C. Heavy. I delay it longer than I should

D. Grounded. I feel prepared to ask clearly

After a difficult conversation, you are most likely to:

A. Question whether I should have said anything at all

B. Feel justified but still unsettled

C. Replay the conversation repeatedly

D. Feel clear about what I said, regardless of the outcome

When someone crosses a boundary you care about, you usually:

A. Say nothing and adjust myself instead

B. Call it out strongly in the moment

C. Pull back emotionally or distance myself later

D. Address it directly and explain the impact

In high-pressure situations, your voice and body language tend to:

A. Get quieter or smaller

B. Become tense or forceful

C. Stay controlled outwardly but tight internally

D. Remain steady and intentional

When expressing disagreement, you are most likely to:

A. Avoid it to keep the peace

B. State your position bluntly

C. Hint at your disagreement rather than say it outright

D. Express your perspective while respecting the other person

When you think about assertive communication, what resonates most?

A. I know I should speak up more, but it feels risky

B. I speak up, but it often escalates

C. I wish I could say what I mean without tension afterward

D. I want to strengthen consistency and confidence in my voice

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Family Strategies with Addiction

🐅 How do you actually communicate under pressure?

You Can Decide Today