The Intruder in the Room: Understanding Addiction as a Family Disease

Suzanne Brown, LCSW, Clinical Director at Midwest Recovery Centers, shares her personal and professional insights on how addiction impacts entire families, not only individuals. She offers practical tools for family recovery, including boundary setting, detaching with love, and understanding the disease model of addiction. By reframing enabling as "caring out of balance," listeners are empowered to support their loved ones compassionately while also protecting their own wellbeing.Key Points/Topics CoveredUnderstanding addiction as a family disease and separating the person from their illnessThe impact of addiction on family members and the importance of self-care for familiesEnabling behavior: Innocent vs. desperate enabling and how caring can become out of balancePractical boundary setting and the concept of detaching with loveSupporting and modeling healthy behaviors for children in families impacted by addiction