For Families

When someone struggles with addiction, the entire family is affected. Fear, confusion, anger, guilt, and uncertainty are common experiences for parents, spouses, children, siblings, and close friends.

As your loved one begins a journey of recovery through Narcotics Anonymous (NA), you may also be looking for understanding, hope, and support.

You are not alone.

What Families Should Know

Addiction is a disease.

Addiction affects the mind, body, and spirit. Recovery is possible through ongoing commitment and support.

Recovery takes time.

Just as addiction develops over time, recovery is a lifelong process requiring patience and perseverance.

Relapse does not mean failure.

Some people relapse before achieving long-term recovery. Relapse should be viewed as a signal that additional support may be needed, not as proof that recovery is impossible.

You cannot recover for someone else.

Each person is responsible for their own recovery. Family members can offer love and encouragement without trying to control the outcome.

How Can Families Support Recovery?

Recovery is a personal journey. Family members can play an important role by:

• Encouraging, but not forcing, treatment or meeting attendance.
• Respecting the recovering person’s responsibility for their own recovery.
• Learning about addiction as a disease.
• Establishing healthy boundaries.
• Avoiding enabling behaviors.
• Celebrating progress, one day at a time.
• Seeking support for themselves.

The information here is not meant as advice about how to parent your child but rather relates to some common experiences of young people who have been successful in staying clean and finding recovery in NA. Young members from all over the world have found recovery from drug addiction in Narcotics Anonymous, and we hope this information will be helpful for any loved one interested in learning more about the experiences a young member faces in recovery,

When a young person finds NA, most parents want to know what role they can play in their loved one’s recovery. The answer to this question will be different for everyone, but it may be helpful to keep in mind that recovery is a process that takes time. Learning how to practice the principles contained within the twelve steps is a uniquely personal experience, consisting of things like taking a personal inventory and making amends.

We invite you to read IP#27, “For the Parents of Young People in NA.” This pamphlet seeks to address some of the questions parents or caregivers may have when a young person comes to Narcotics Anonymous.