Family Addiction Family

Drug and chemical abuse affect many families and that particular family that lives through a loved one who is an addict and the priority is to get help for the individual. In any intervention that involves drug addicts, a family's disposition is very important. Full recovery of any drug addict involves the restoration of the person's life as well as ensuring that those who are around the addict have the best ability when it comes to helping with abstinence which is a long-term goal. Abusers are often in denial or even believe that they are totally in control of their use of drugs

As a recovering addict I know firsthand how my addiction affected my family. Addiction to alcohol or drugs is a disease; it affects everyone in the family, not just the substance abuser.

Modern society has failed bring the burgeoning problems of addiction under control. The word “addiction” was applied to drug use in the 20th century, but now it refers to a wider variety of non-drug hobbies, such as eating, gambling and sex. To treat the devastating flood of addiction problems, it is important to understand that addiction is not just a physical problem but more of a social and psychological problem. Dislocation caused by the free market society and the pressure from family can lead to addiction.

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

A person, especially a parent, who is dependent on alcohol or drugs destroys a family because family members not only see how miserable the addicted really are, but they also witness, firsthand, the way substance abuse can deteriorate a person’s physical and mental body, as well as the fact that family members notice the money that is spent on the abused substances, which sometimes leaves families living in poverty for no reason other than the simple fact the addict has to have their fix. Addicts are the destroyers of happiness, self-worth, and any amount of money.

Alcoholism and drug abuse have been proven to put strain on relationships. Misusing drugs and alcohol could cause his parents to be disappointed in and suspicious of him, especially after they had shown trust in him by allowing him to go to parties and giving him alcohol to enjoy in moderation.

Addiction not only affects the addicted, but changes the lives of those around them. Direct family of the addicted, particularly their children, are always the most influenced. Alcoholic parents can affect the lives of their children by causing mental health problems, physical health problems, and passing on their alcoholism to their children. Alcoholic parents should think about their actions before exposing their children to this lifestyle, because it can alter who they are. Not only could living this life fill them with sadness, but they could also learn behaviors from their parents.

This dysfunctionality is attributed to a higher incidence of addictive disorders (Lander et al., 2013; Wedekind et al., 2013). Addiction is often regarded as an attachment disorder. Possible harmful drinking patterns are often associated with insecure attachment and an inability to regulate emotions (Wedekind et al., 2013). Recently, De Rick and colleges (2009) proposed a correlation between characteristics of personality disorders, depression, anxiety, and alcohol addiction. According to Wedekind et al. (2013) childhood experiences as well as biological factors contribute to the developing attachment styles of individuals. When observed together, the capacity for coping with anxiety, a person’s temperament (arguably inborn), and personality style may correspond with attachment styles and the creation of distinct psychopathologies which over the course of time may lead to alcohol addiction (Wedekind et al., 2013). In addition, research conducted by Wedekind et al. (2013) indicated that a high prevalence of insecure attachment styles is found in alcohol addicted inpatients, and that those who are insecurely attached, display a significantly higher expression of cognitive avoidance (Wedekind et al., 2013).

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.

Substance addiction. Addiction is a disease that plagues the whole world in a unprejudiced way. It is a selfish disease that not only slowly kills its victim but also the people who surround it. Addiction as defined by DrugAbuse.gov is, “chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. It is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain; they change its structure and how it works.” Sadly, this disease has the ability to take over person’s regular emotional connections and turn them into ugly entities. This kind of reaction inevitably causes serious strain on personal relationships. It has been said, that for every addict, there are four people immediately affected emotionally, personally, and even

Even systems theory has disagreed on whether “addiction is an individual problem or a family problem” (Stevens & Smith, pg. 240). The author stated “is the addiction secondary to the dysfunction in the family or is it the primary cause of the dysfunction” (Stevens & Smith, pg. 240)? It’s an interesting question and one that may be “skewed by the viewpoint of the clinician” (Stevens & Smith, pg. 240). However, what a clinician must keep focused on is the “biopsychosociofamilial” aspect of the causes of the addiction (Stevens & Smith, pg. 240). All aspects of a person’s life must be explored as possible causal effects of the addiction or the clinician may miss out on a crucial piece of the puzzle that has created the addiction and is allowing it to continue.

In reading chapter one of the textbook “Substance Abuse and Family” I found a couple things that caught my attention and felt were important to know. The first being the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) I first heard about this manual in my Anthropology class two days ago when examining attributes that can lead to disorders such as non-attachments, interpersonal disorganization and mother and child strain. The textbook describes DSM as providing criteria for varies types of substance (mental health) issues, they are clustered by different symptoms that impact individual functioning. Another interesting piece of the chapter was the four species of alcoholism found in the disease model being one of the three primary models of addiction.

Extensive research shows that biological factors such as genes are just the beginning of the underlying causes of addiction. Environmental factors play a huge role. There is a profound mutuality between family circumstances and the extent of drug addiction. One study that I found particularly interesting involved 559 people; all of which were families. “The main family factors of drug addiction, according to the results obtained, are family atmosphere, strength of family ties, sense of family happiness, structure of authority in the family, and alcoholism.” (NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV) In found that drug addicts come from a family that aggression and ill will are present and family ties are far less decrepit than those where addiction was not. The ease of access to drugs and alcohol also was a determining factor of the addiction equation. What I found most concerning was that in families where the mother was the authoritative figure 54.4% --that’s more than half—addiction was present. Vice versa, in the families that love and affection were evident the children rarely took any

Forgiveness is always a difficult act for families of addicts. Having to excuse the mistake or offense the person that hurt you is not easy at all and letting go of all that they have put you through is tough. But at the end of the day the family we still forgive them because they love them. “I’d like friends and, uh, to have my family forgive me“(Sheff 87). Nic was aware that he hurt his family. Most addicts are aware that they’ve affected the family and they do not intend to but because they are so addicted, they can’t help it. According to Erika Krull’s “Addiction and Family Roles”, it clarifies how “everyone takes on predictable roles when the family isn’t emotionally healthy, and this is usually caused by a drug or alcohol addiction”.

Addiction is all around us. It may be that cup of coffee in the morning for the caffeine stimulation, the cigarette that is smoked for the nicotine, or an alcoholic drink used to relieve a stressful day or situation. For some, the addiction may not be to a substance, but to compulsive behaviors such as gambling, playing video games, or shopping. Consequences to addictions can impact an addict’s physical or mental state. Addiction can also have detrimental impact on the people that surround them. Watching a relationship fall apart because a person has an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or another addictive behavior is a sad thing to happen to anyone. Unfortunately, those with addictions usually won’t admit they even