We are the only one who can get out of the prison. Our society is great at writing self-help books and teaching us how to be a success. But our society does not know how to help people when they lose something. There are many kinds of losses. The loss of a childhood.
Recovery is full of losses.
In families of addicts, people pretty much know what to expect. When dad was coming home drunk, other family members knew what to expect and had developed strategies for protecting themselves. In recovery, all of this is destabilized. That can be a huge loss. Most people associate grief with bad things that happen, but you are suggesting that sometimes positive change can also create grief.