Updated: September 2022
When we learn that a loved one has a substance use disorder and/or mental health challenges, it can often be accompanied by feelings of fear, shame, grief, or guilt. We all know that supporting a loved one with a substance use disorder can be both mentally and emotionally exhausting.
Families are in recovery too, so we need access to supports for our own mental health and well-being. The support of peers and friends is crucial to our self-care, so that we can be there for our loved ones.
SAFE Treatment & Family Support Locator
Find critical resources and options best matched to your needs or the needs of a loved one.
Additional Online Resources
Family Resources for Addiction, Substance Use Disorder, and Mental Health
When it comes to finding the right sources for help, remember that one size does not fit all. This is just a sampling of the many resources for families found nationwide.
12-step Programs
Support Groups and Coalitions
- Because I Love You (BILY) — Parent & Youth Support Group
- Colorado Consortium — State specific educational resources and information
- GRASP — Grief recovery
- Grandfamilies USA — Kinship Caregiver support & other resources
- In the Rooms — Online resource with multiple pathways to recovery, including all 12 Step, Non-12 Step, Wellness and Mental Health modalities
- Learn to Cope — Education, Resources, & Peer support
- LBGTQ+ Resources — Curated list by SAFE Project
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Family Support Groups
- National Eating Disorders Association — Free helpline support, forums, and mentoring
- Parents of Addicted Loved Ones (PAL) — Parent focused support
- Partnership to End Addiction — Free helpline support, peer-to-peer coaching, parent resources
- Refuge Recovery — Buddhist faith-based peer support
- Resources for the Black Community — Curated list by SAFE Project
- Resources for Diverse Populations — Curated list by SAFE Project
- Smart Recovery — Mutual-support program with science-based emphasis on self-empowerment and self-reliance
- Team Sharing — Nationwide support network for families who have lost a loved one through addiction
- White Bison — Recovery, prevention, and wellness/wellbriety resources for Native American/Alaska Native community nationwide
Stories of Family Recovery:
- Lessons Learned — Family members share what they’ve learned along the way.
- “For Black Families Like Mine, the Drug Epidemic isn’t New” — When Black families were facing the heroin epidemic in the 1960s and the crack epidemic in the 1980s, there were no stories that “humanized those affected by addiction.”
- “Hiding my mental illness from my Asian family almost killed me” — Cultural beliefs keep many from getting the help they need, but the stigma associated with mental illness is deeply entrenched in Asian culture.
- Amy’s Story — The loss of a spouse, and learning about recovery by helping others.
- Brandee’s & Britnee’s Story — A mother and daughter’s straight talk about addiction and recovery.
- Liz’s Story — What is it like to be a family in long-term recovery?
- Melissa’s Story — Losing a sister and gaining a mission to support other women in recovery.
- Randy’s Story — Years later, a parent comes to understand many of the things his daughter stood for that he did not at the time.
Podcasts:
Here’s what we love about podcasts: they help us feel the stories being told. In the case of addiction and recovery, podcasts give us access to a deeper level of connection, understanding, and empathy with the storytellers and topics. The team at SAFE Project has curated a list of podcasts that we believe can assist all of us in gaining more knowledge and perspective as we look to find solutions and provide support around addiction and mental health.