School for Relatives

By assignment from Public Health Authority, STAD runs group sessions for families of people with alcohol or drug problems and since its inception in 1995 has had about 1300 participants. From the beginning it was mainly women who have long been married to or living with an alcoholic. There has been a visible shift towards more younger participants, often children who grow up in families with alcohol problems, but the number of parents of young people who have alcohol and / or drug problems has also increased. The percentage of male participants is still only about 10 -20%.

“School for Relatives” is offered to those who are concerned about any relative, companion or close acquaintances that may have alcohol, drug or pharmaceutical abuse problems. It can be a parent, husband / wife, adult child, sibling, partner or close friend. More and more people find us via the Internet, but many have been recommended through the health care system, community dependency wards or through friends who have attended the course.

Anyone over the age of 20 and residing in the Stockholm area is welcome to attend.
The training is held at STAD’s offices in the Centre for Psychiatry Research, Norra Stationsgatan 69.
Register via telephone or email to Unda Lönnqvist.
 

“School for Relatives” main goals are

• To impart knowledge on how alcohol and drugs affect us medically, psychologically and socially

• Increase the understanding of how addiction affects relatives and companions

• To provide the tools for family members to improve their own situation while still helping their relatives in the best way

•For families to meet other families and share experiences with each other
 

How does it work?

School for Relatives takes place in groups of 8-12 participants. The course is held three times per semester. Click here for more information and exact times. A course is approximately 18 hours and lasts for an entire Saturday and four evenings at weekly intervals. Individual counseling can also be offered.
Group leaders are Unda Lönnqvist and Åke Lundqvist.

Contents:

• What happens in the brain when you use alcohol and drugs?

• The concept of disease

• The development of dependency and co-dependency

• Roles within the family system

• The implications for me - depression surrounding co-dependency

• Emotions: guilt, shame, anger, grief and loss

• Road to recovery: stop monitoring, the different ways to ask for help, self-help groups

• Reading Suggestions
 

Appraisal:

The participants fill in a questionnaire when they come to School for Relatives and a similar survey when they finish the course. Many participants describe how they have increased their independence from the addict and gained greater insight into addiction problem. Their self-esteem has been strengthened, their need for control has decreased and they have started to talk more about addiction with both the addict and others. They appreciate meeting others who are in a similar situation.