Drug abuse affects the whole family. While affected family members are willing to do everything to support the rehabilitation of drug abusers, feelings of frustration and helplessness are inevitable in face of setbacks and challenges. Family interventions focus on the gearing effect of small changes at all levels, leveraging strengths and resources of all family members to facilitate recovery.

Some affected family members see helping the abuser to quit drugs as their sole purpose of existence, leading to a vicious cycle of codependency which symptoms include mental and physical exhaustion as well as loss of self. Through therapy and treatment, family members can learn to create balance in the relationship with the abuser, so as to facilitate positive changes within the whole family.