Support for families of people who use opiates

A support group puts you in a room, or on a video call, with people who already know what your week was like. Most are free. Many meet both in person and online.

• Nar-Anon Family Groups. A 12-step fellowship for relatives and friends of people with drug addiction.
• Al-Anon Family Groups and Alateen. 12-step groups for families affected by someone’s drinking. Alateen is for teenagers. Some people affected by drug use attend too.
• SMART Recovery Family and Friends. Meetings that are not 12-step, built around practical skills.
• NAMI family groups. The National Alliance on Mental Illness runs peer groups for families. They are useful when mental illness is part of the picture.

SAMHSA lists national groups like these as places to look and is clear that it does not approve or benefit from any of them. This site takes the same position. They are options to try, not recommendations.

Groups differ a lot from one to the next. If the first one does not suit you, try another before you decide groups are not for you.

How to find one near you

SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, gives referrals to support groups and community organizations as well as treatment. It is for family members too. Dialing 211 reaches a local referral line in most of the country. Your state substance use agency can also point you to family programs.

A counselor gives you a private hour that is only about you. That can be a relief if you have spent months thinking about someone else.

Counseling for you alone

Any licensed therapist can help with stress, sleep, anxiety and grief. Some are trained in CRAFT, a program for family members that a SAMHSA treatment guide describes as evidence-based. It teaches communication and self-care, and it has been shown to ease depression and strain in family members while helping the person enter treatment.

Family therapy

Many treatment programs offer family sessions. SAMHSA says families should be open to support groups, family therapy and counseling, because supporting the whole family can make treatment work better. If your person is already in a program, ask whether families can take part. The page on counseling in treatment explains what those sessions look like.

Paying for it

Check your own health plan first, since many cover mental health visits. If cost is the barrier, SAMHSA suggests asking any counselor or clinic about a sliding-fee scale, which sets the price by your income. See what treatment costs for how insurance and Medicaid work.

SAMHSA’s advice for caregivers is modest on purpose. Big plans tend to collapse. Small ones hold.

• Take some time each day that is yours: a walk outside, a book, music, writing things down.
• Set times to talk if the calls and texts never stop. SAMHSA’s example is agreeing on a regular time, then keeping to it.
• Help the person think of other people they can lean on, so you are not the only one.
• Tell one trusted person the truth. Secrecy is heavy to carry alone.
• Keep your own doctor’s appointments.

Saying no to some requests is part of this. Setting boundaries covers how to do it without a fight.

Family members reach breaking point too. If you feel you cannot go on, or you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988. It is free and confidential, and trained counselors answer day and night. The 988 Lifeline says it is for everyone, including people who are worried about someone else.

If your person is not breathing or cannot be woken, call 911 and give naloxone if you have it.

If the worst has already happened and you have lost someone, 988 is there for that too. So are grief counselors and bereavement groups, which your doctor, a local hospital or 211 can help you find.

When you have the strength for the practical side again, the state treatment directory will still be here.