Understanding Addiction as a Family Disease
As with so many other diseases, addiction impacts far more than the individual with the diagnosis. Sure, on the surface, it appears as if one person is causing the problems and carrying the burden. But if that person is part of any kind of family unit, the problems and burdens multiply. When addiction begins to break down someone’s life, there is so much collateral damage.
Watching a loved one suffer is hard enough. But substance abuse often brings with it job loss, criminality, financial ruin, physical conditions, and rampant mistrust. Families are pushed to the limit, and their struggles cannot be downplayed.
How Addiction Affects the Family
Unpredictability (and worse)
Part of any family’s security blanket is a sense of rhythm. Drug or alcohol use throws all of that into chaos. The addicted person leaves everyone wondering what they will do next. For children, this is especially damaging as they must adjust to living in a state of confusion and fear. Adding to this reality is the very threat of abuse — emotional or physical.
Betrayal of Trust
Even when an addict wants to keep their word, promises are meaningless when addiction rules the day. How can a spouse, child, parent, or sibling function when trust no longer exists in a home?
The Pain of the Children
About 20 percent of U.S. children grow up in a home in which at least one parent abuses alcohol or drugs. The person a child wants support from the most is the person turning their life into a nightmare. Parents can’t give their children the attention they need and deserve. Long-term neglect is often the source of childhood trauma and hence, emotional problems as an adult. The kids of an addict are at higher risk for behavioral problems, learning issues, and substance abuse of their own.
The Pain of Other Family Members
Your child could be a teen, or they could be middle-aged. Finding out that they have an addiction problem is something every parent dreads. In some cases, they blame themselves for it. If your spouse is the one abusing substances, the cost is incalculable. Finances suffer, your social life can wither away, and the probability that you will get divorced increases dramatically. Still, as it is for every family member, the most insidious impact is emotional and relentless.
Money Woes (and related problems)
It costs money to finance an addiction. The individual in the throes of this spiral will eventually stoop to any level to get what they need. Life savings can be squandered, and careers derailed. Related issues like driving under the influence can lead to even more money trouble — not to mention the other risks. If the addiction is connected to illegal drugs, arrest, and other legal issues are always possible. Family members are torn between helping the person they love and having to cut off someone who is living on the edge.
Non-Stop Stress
The top priority of an addict is their addiction. As a result, family members are left to carry the weight left behind. It could be household chores, child-rearing, being the breadwinner, or caring for elders. Whatever the need, the onus is now on you. All this added stress is a recipe for disaster when it comes to your mental and physical well-being.
Where Do You Go From Here?
This is more for one person to handle — especially if that person is picking up the pieces of a broken family. Yes, the addicted person needs professional help. But so might you. To find out more about navigating this difficult situation, I urge you to reach out for more information.
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