The CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) program (briefly described in the video below) was created by the Center for Motivation and Change teaches people who love a person with an addiction how to walk the delicate balance of loving and accepting your loved one for the entirety of who they are right now, including their challenges, while at the same time, being able to have conversations with them that can gradually open their thinking to the possibility of deciding to make a change. It can also help you to “get off of the roller coaster” that addiction creates in people’s lives.  You still have to struggle with the emotional pain of watching your loved one who is still on that roller coaster, but you can create a better life for yourself  when you recognize what you can and can’t control.  Check out their their 20-Minute Guide.  This is a private business that I have no connection to.  However, I think that what they have to offer is valuable.

This model is based on the same science that has created a therapeutic approach called “Motivational Interviewing” that is used throughout the professional substance abuse field.  It is a powerful tool that needs to be applied with patience and acceptance.  It recognizes the reality that the person with the addiction is truly the only one that can decide to enter treatment and commit to the work that they need to do to stop their substance abuse.  This is not a free service, but it may be worth the money.  It’s so easy to fall into unpleasant power struggles with a loved one in these situations.  These techniques teach you how to be a power struggle ninja and still feel like you are doing what you can to encourage change.

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