Addiction And Family Addiction

Addiction is a chronic brain disease that often results in some sort of relapse. Addiction is characterized by inability to control drug use which results in problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships. This disease causes compulsive behaviors such as the need to use drugs despite the many harmful consequences that affect the addicted individual and those around him or her. Although for most people, the initial decision to use drugs is a one time lapse in judgement, the brain is easily affected by these drugs if the person decides to use these drugs multiple times. The changes that occur to the brain over time will cause the addicted person’s ability to resist the intense impulses of drugs to be altered causing the addict to often give into the temptation of these drugs. Like other chronic diseases, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission. Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death. Drug addiction is an issue that many people deal with whether they are the addict or the addict is their loved one; but with a good source of support anyone can over come the challenges and consequences of addiction.

Addiction to substances represents one of the most insidious diseases known to mankind. Given the serious nature and sensitivity that surrounds addiction, the only viable path to recovery from this disease tends to be through spending time in a reputable drug and alcohol rehab treatment center. Any efforts to try to classify all addicts into one group represents nothing more than an exercise in futility.

As I get older and read more about the addiction, I have been trying to accept it as a disease. Addiction can easily influence on the person’s personality and make them to do things that he or she won’t do in soberness. Although it has been so hard for me to acknowledge my own experience as one of the members of the addiction family, I have tried to be aware of my own countertransference. I was born and raised in Iran where I have lived most of my life. Part of being Persian means most of the family especially elders use opium as a painkiller in daily basis. It is not hard to find all kinds of substances in my country except alcohol because it is prohibited in Islam. After the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the government closed all the liquor store and bars, so some of those people who

Many of us probably know somebody in the family who is/was an addict or know somebody who has/had an addict as a family member. Addiction has a huge impact on not only those who are addicted, but those surrounding the addict. The family members are constantly picking up the pieces left behind by the addict. In Beautiful Boy, Nic’s parents and siblings are constantly trying to fix Nic’s mess. Nic directly impacts his family by stealing from them, lying to them and even ruining their belongings such as their car. Unfortunately, his addiction also impacted his younger siblings who fully understood what was happening to Nic and saw his transition to drug use. Personally, I know many addicts most of whom have lost connection with their family members because they are fed up with what comes along with having an addict as a family member. There is the constant lies, stealing, and let downs and a lot of family members give up on the addict because of the amount of stress that it brings. Those who stick around to try and help the addict are often emotionally hurt and are constantly stressing about what could be going on with their addicted family member. A family member who is very attached to the addict can become co-dependent. Mental Health America states that, “[the family member] has good intentions. They try to take care of a person who is experiencing difficulty, but the caretaking becomes compulsive and defeating. Co-dependents often take on a martyr’s role and become

Addiction is a theme that has been present throughout my life through members of my family and myself. My father was addicted to gambling and alcohol until finally, his drinking ended his life. My brother struggles with alcohol and keeping ahead of his problematic drinking. I have several cousins that float between alcohol and drugs to fulfill the need for an outside substance. For many years, I pondered how I had escaped the addiction curse in my family only to realize that my addiction is food. I overeat and self-sooth through food even though I have health concerns and know a better way. I spent most of my young adulthood angry at my father because he could not or would not change for his family. I am understanding more through education

Did you know that 19.9 percent of adult Americans had some sort of a mental illness, according to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (samhsa.gov, 2015, Para. 3). This is a total of 45.1 million adults in America suffering with mental health disorders (samhsa.gov, 2015, Para. 3). There are also currently 20.8 million adults in America who suffer from substance use disorder ever year (NAMI.org, 2015). Both of these are alarming statistics of the wellbeing of the American citizens. To make matters worse, these two groups intertwine to a population of people known with a co-occurrence of mental illness and substance use or, more commonly known as, dual diagnosis.

Addiction is a brain disorder defined by the compulsive engagement in rewarding behavior, despite negative consequences (Angres and Bettinardi–Angres 696). From the outside looking in it can be easy to judge and condemn adicts for pursuing their vice. However, don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that addicts are just people with weaker morals or insufficient spiritual guidance. Addiction is a medical disease with a complex etiology. Social dislocation and family stress appear to contribute significantly to the development of the disease. Social dislocation is the removal of an individual from their community, family or friends. The lack of social support can be devastating to an individual. It can create a painful void that they may attempt

It is important to understand the complex role that families can play in substance abuse treatment. They can be a source of help to the treatment process, but they also must manage the consequences of the IP’s addictive behavior. Individual family members are concerned about the IP’s substance abuse, but they also have their own goals and issues. Providing services to the whole family can improve treatment effectiveness. Meeting the challenge of working together will call for mutual understanding, flexibility, and adjustments among the substance abuse treatment provider, family therapist, and family. This shift will require a stronger focus on the systemic interactions of families. Many divergent practices must be reconciled if family therapy

According to Leshner (1998) at its core, addiction is actually a brain disease. There are many factors that come into consideration with addiction which are specific to each individual such as their physiological state, his or her genetics, environmental and societal situation, and how he or she is embedded into society comes together in the end. Some of these contributing factors can be controlled or modified in order to treat an addiction, while other cannot be modified such as genetics and some psychological states. These two key factors are those that researchers in both the medical and psychology fields have studied, to determine better treatment options as they can present a barrier in creating effective addiction management

In reading chapters four and five of the textbook “Substance Abuse and the Family” I found a couple of things that caught my interest. In chapter four, the middle phrase of an alcoholic family is discussed on page 58, regulatory behaviors of the family enabling whatever use of alcohol is occurring hiding and maintaining for others not to see the alcoholism. The children are usually pressured not to talk about the situation at school, work, etc. I have seen parents threaten their children if they were to tell, saying things like “ if you tell they will take us away from you forever and it will be your fault” or “ if you tell punishment will be sure to follow”. Therefore, the family must endure the negative impacts of an alcoholic parent falling

The substance abuse of a parent has a lasting and apparent effect on all young children. There are a number of substances that can become a problem in people’s lives, including but not limited to; marijuana, alcohol, stimulants, depressants, narcotics, hallucinogens and inhalants. Drugs critically affect the individual taking them, but also affect the members of the household, especially children. Not only does the person’s addiction emotionally, mentally, and physically affect the individual lives of other members of the family, but it tears apart relationships between the families. Arguments, disagreements, violence, and stress can derive from the abuse of drugs because of the tension it puts on one’s other members of the family.

The use of substances for physical, mind and social advantage has been around since the beginning of documented history. Contemporary use of prescription medication for these advantages has led to a national epidemic of substance abuse. Health care providers need to recognize the disease process of addiction in order to effectively combat the growing epidemic of substance use disorders (SUD). Strategies to decrease the prevalence and incidence of SUD include defining addiction, understanding epidemiology, evaluating treatment options and decreasing stigmatism associated with SUD.

Now environment may play a very crucial role in addition but that family history of the individual also is very important. If it would not be for the mental illness that is linked to addiction environment would have no effect. If a family history has no history of addiction no matter where the child lives there will be no addiction. Therefore, when considering addiction, one must consider both the genetics of a person as well as their environment. This realization will not only help those searching for the causes of addiction, but will also help to provide insight for those suffering from addiction as well (dlende,

Great job on the paper! The first connection I made between my population (the mentally disabled) and substance abusers is the role that family can potentially have. In some of the worst cases, a mentally disabled person or a person with a substance disorder may have no one to turn to but family. Both may rely on their family to provide for them as they struggle with their disability or addiction. Furthermore, both those with substance disorders and mental disabilities may have different social patterns than those who have neither. Just like y'all mentioned, a substance abuser may become withdrawn or only be able to hang out with other substance abusers and perhaps a few other close family members and friends,

It was a calamitous knock, a knock that brought with it the worst of news that commenced a series of devastating events to follow for years to come. This knock arrived at our door at 5:00 a.m. one morning and it was my brother, Andrew. He refused to reveal the contents of his night, but in his insensible stupor he incessantly demanded for our help in finding his lost car, keys, phone, and wallet. After hours of much endeavor from each family member, Andrew’s car was discovered in a ditch with a blown out tire, his keys in another city miles away from the crash scene, and his wallet and phone were never recovered. My brother’s desperate knock and our cautious opening of the door revealed that Andrew’s misfortunes of that night had derived from the abuse of methamphetamine. This event remains in my mind as the initial incident that began our continuous familial struggle over the past five years.