How Does Drug Addiction Affect Families

How Drug Addicts Affect Families

Many families now a days seem to struggle with addiction somewhere within their family. Whether a person is dealing with addiction themselves, or instead going through the painful steps alongside a close family members, drugs tear apart everything they encounter. Because drug addiction is such a tough battle to overcome for some people, many family member often feel an obligation to go above and beyond on efforts to help the drug addict only to often times realize they are sometimes in the battle alone. Unfortunately, it’s often times very difficult for some addicts to actually acknowledge that their addiction has spun out of control, and that it is now negatively affecting not only themselves, but each
Some people have extreme highs meaning that may act wildly with lots of energy, often times become violent, or have a false sense of pure happiness. In other cases, some drug addictions cause the person to become groggy, lethargic, ill, and may tend to live somewhat of a loner lifestyle. With drugs altering a person’s personality so much, it’s difficult for others, even the drug addict’s children, to bond and connect with the drug addict. According to the article “The Set Up: Living with Addiction”, Dr. Tian Dayton MA, PhD, TEP states, “The intensity and type of connectedness in addicted/traumatizing families can create the types of bonds that of people tend to form during times of crisis.” True connections are made when both parties are mentally aware of their emotions and their acting in rational
A good spouse wants to try everything in their power to help the drug addict change, “get back on their feet”, stop using, and most importantly, stay that way. Unfortunately for the spouse, drug addiction is way bigger than they are. Often times, the best of marriages are torn apart due to drugs. The addicted spouse can become emotionally withdrawn from their spouse, or even begin lying to them. This in turn will begin to tear the couple apart. Drugs are notorious for causing a divorce. Also, when children are involved, they are too negatively affected. In some cases, the child hardly even has a bond with the drug addicted parent. Being as drugs take first priority, the child may have never properly bonded to the parent, and this can be hurtful by itself. Dr. Tian Dayton also states in her article “The Set Up: Living with Addiction”, “When what is going on within the family is never talked about, children are left to make sense of it on their own. Talking need not be constant, but avoiding talking altogether can lead to confusion and disconnection.” Children need to be told that it’s okay to feel the way they do, and should be allowed to vocalize their feelings to someone who can help them sort out their feelings. Children of drug addicts have it unfair anyway, but being forced to just hush about and ignore can cause major