Rethinking "Addiction as a Family Disease"

In this episode of The TPAS Drop, we share an excerpt from arecent TPAS Monthly Member Workshop featuring Sherry Gaugler-Stewart, Directorof Family & Spiritual Services at The Retreat in Minnesota. Sherry has spent more than 18 years walking alongsidefamilies impacted by a loved one’s addiction, and in this workshop she offers apowerful reframing that resonated deeply with our members: If addiction is a family disease, then the symptoms show upon both sides — in the person struggling and in the people who love them. What You’ll Learn in This Episode- Why families often get labeled as “part of the problem” —and why that framing is incomplete- The five mirrored symptoms that appear in both theindividual and the family:  • Isolation  • Denial  • Preoccupation  • Increased tolerance (to behaviors, fear, or chaos)  • Loss of control- How fear shapes family behavior — even when the loved oneis in recovery- Why alumni professionals need to understand the family’sexperience to better support the client- How shifting our lens from “sick family system” to “familyin crisis” changes everything Want More Workshops Like This?This clip comes from our TPAS Monthly Member Workshop,offered live every month for alumni professionals inside the TPAS community. To learn more or become a member, visit https://tpasrecovery.org/