Even though it may only be one person within the family unit who is actually addicted to drugs or alcohol, their addiction has an effect on every member. If you have a family member who has finally decided to commit to a rehabilitation program after a struggle with an addiction, don't be at all surprised if their adviser recommends that you and the rest of the household or other people involved seek therapy as well. There are several reasons why family drug counselling is often a good idea when one family member is trying to get back to a life of sobriety. 

Find recovery from your own psychological damages due to addiction. 

Addiction takes a toll on the person who is doing the actual abusing, both physically and emotionally. However, sometimes the people who have lived with an addict suffer many of the same damages. You may feel guilty about being an enabler or allowing your spouse to stay in spite of exhibiting behaviors that were not good for your children, for example. You may carry a grudge, hurt feelings, or even downright anger and resentment that you have a hard time dealing with on your own. All of these emotional challenges are things that should be sorted through for the greater good of the whole family. 

Learn how to provide a safe and sober environment for a recovering addict. 

Recovery programs are not a fix-all solution in which an addict goes in and a perfectly sober and well person comes out. Addiction is a lifelong disease that someone will have to work hard to deal with for years, possibly even their entire life. Whether you see them, triggers for an addict can lie in the simplest everyday processes in a household. For example, if an addict commonly used because the family often argued about certain things or at certain locations in the house, you and the rest of the family can learn how to remove these dangerous triggers through counselling. 

Obtain help to mend broken relationships. 

Years of struggling with an addiction or an addict can create turmoil in personal relationships. Whether it is you and your spouse who constantly argued over an addicted child or if the addict is your spouse, these relationships usually need help to rebuild after years of substance abuse. Through family counselling sessions, you will learn where personal relationships will need improvement and get help to work your way back to healthy interactions within the family. 

Contact a counsellor in your area like Dr Susan Goldsmith to learn more about what counselling can do to help your family recover from the aftermath of addiction.