Published: 2018-12-31

Significance of family system functioning to abstinence maintenance by alcohol dependent patient. Clinical perspective

Karolina Małek

Abstract

Addiction to alcohol is a serious social problem in Poland. It concerns about 10% of polish society (directly and indirectly). Treatment system is primarily aimed at achieving and maintaining abstinence by addicted patient and individual help for the family members (mainly therapy of a co-dependent spouse / partner). Different institutions offer therapeutic help that assumes mostly only individual process. This article presents a different perspective. Alcohol addiction very clearly affects the whole family reality, determining the shape and the rules of relating between all family members. Basing on systemic theories, it is assumed that the processes of falling into addiction as well as the process of getting out of it will affect the addicts’ environment, putting adaptational challenges in front of everyone in the family. It seems that the therapeutic support directed to the families that face the problem of alcoholism can be a factor that strongly facilitates the process of recovery and maintaining abstinence as well as may be of help to create new ways of functioning of the family system. The article presents the results of empirical research confirming these assumptions, as well as a hypothetical clinical example.

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Małek, K. (2018). Significance of family system functioning to abstinence maintenance by alcohol dependent patient. Clinical perspective. Studia Nad Rodziną, 22(4(49), 99–115. Retrieved from https://czasopisma.uksw.edu.pl/index.php/snr/article/view/8644

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