Opioid addiction is a frightening physical and mental affliction. It has taken root all over Long Island and the Country. The Patchogue-Medford Library has partnered with Suffolk County Long Island Mentors & Mentees and the Stony Brook Graduate School of Social Work to offer a six week workshop for the friends & family of those afflicted with addiction.

Photo © Rhys Bennett, used according to Creative Commons License

SMART Recovery for Family and Friends (F&F) is a workshop that offers support and tools to those who are impacted by the addictive behavior of a loved one. When a person is involved with someone with an addiction, it can become easy to neglect their own needs. Instead of spending so much time focused on their loved one, the F&F program welcomes participants to focus on themselves and the goals that they want to achieve. By attending these workshops, participants will have others to relate to and can support one another with empowerment and hope. At the meetings for Family and Friends, participants will feel as if they have a safe haven to come to and discuss their struggles. They can then learn new skills that will facilitate positive changes.

Participants will be taught how to respond to addictive behaviors. There are some responses that may be unproductive. This program will provide different strategies that can be used to change these unproductive responses to ones that are more helpful in the long run.

The first session of this series is Saturday, November 14th at 10:00 A.M. , the following sessions are the November 21st, December 5th, December 12th, December 19th