Family Dynamics Paper

Many participants engaged the group with stories of overcoming addiction or being sexually molested by family members as reasons behind their addiction. However all of their stories were compelling and empowering to the group of individuals who have seemed to endure some of the same sentiments as their fellow group mate. It appeared as if the individuals in the group even though that were court ordered appeared to be extremely engaged and very involved during the meetings. It seemed as though most who attended found peace and solice from the group during the NA meetings. As it stated by Krentzman, Robinson, Moore, et.al (2010), client’s state that their top two reasons for attending NA meetings were to promote recovery/ sobriety and to find support acceptance and friendships. One thing that I learned from the NA group that just as in AA, family support deems to be an important function on the perseverance of an addict and that the participation and involvement of family is detrimental in the treatment process for the addicts. In several of our readings many of the passages discussed the effects of family systems support as it pertains to substance abusers chemical addiction. The passages described the family system as being a detrimental part of the treatment process as well as for the treatment of the family as well. According to past studies, family involvement has aided clients in

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.

Substance abuse is an issue that continues to grow in America at an alarming rate. Families are an important factor for the onset of substance abuse as well as the sustainment of the addiction (Gruber & Taylor, 2006). The National Institute of Drug Abuse defines substance abuse as “A chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences” (“Understanding Drug Use and Addiction,” 2016). In order to prevent relapse, success is found in the formation of familial and social relationships (Baharudin et al., 2014). Substance abuse is a major stressor in the family system and it not only impacts the family’s relationships with those outside of the family but

Although all sorts of families can be devastated by addiction, but single parent units (the most common lower class structure) are the most obscured. Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches supports, “In every family unit, each person plays a role (or multiple roles) to help the family function better and to maintain a level of homeostasis, stability and balance. When substance abuse is added to this dynamic, the family roles naturally shift to adjust to the new behaviors associated with drug or alcohol use, and to continue maintaining order and balance.”4 In single parent units there is an inability of a second parent to fill the void role of the addicted parent. The National Center for Biotechnology Information states, “Frequently, children may act as surrogate spouses for the parent who abuses substances. For example, [young] children may develop elaborate systems of denial to protect themselves against that reality of the parent’s addiction. Because that option does not exist in a single‐parent household with a parent who abuses substances, children are likely to behave in a manner that is not age‐appropriate to compensate for the parental deficiency.”2 So a child growing up in a compromised family unit where addiction is present may develop altered norms and mature into an addict themselves.4

Family therapy and education – Education and training for family members to help them in understanding addiction and learning how to live with an addict.

At our time touring CeDAR, we were introduced to the CeDAR Family Program. This week-long program allows for the family members of an individual undergoing substance abuse treatment to learn about addiction and how to better deal with their loved one’s illness. They are also given tools for their own coping and recovery. According to the CeDAR website “research shows participation in our addiction family support program helps increase overall recovery rates” (Family Services: CeDAR, 2016, paragraph 4).

Most substance abuse treatment centers offer family therapy. Addiction affects the whole family and each individual member. Everyone, as a result, needs treatment to find true and meaningful healing. Therapists and counselors at addiction treatment programs will also view the family as a system that influences your growth and progress in the program. Treatment may focus on healing emotional scars caused by addiction such as distrust, betrayal, and neglect. Family involvement in treatment delivers advantages such as: [4]

Afterward, families tend to enter the defense and adaption stages. In the defense stage, the family members may ignore the addiction and may defend their actions. Some family members may even feel like they are partly to blame for the addiction. As family members transition to the adaption stage, they begin to change their habits to adjust for the addiction. Some family members may resort to substance abuse to cope, or they may try to become the perfect family

There is no question about how the dynamics of the family structure can change when a family member is a substance abuser. Substance abuse can easily tear apart a family, especially, when some members of the family want the abuser to stop using the substance and to get help, but the user is not ready to change his lifestyle and is resisting pressure from his love ones. There are group therapies and organizations designed to help family members understand addiction, why one might start using drugs and alcohol, and one’s new role in the abuser’s lifestyle, and at the same time help them confront their own issues with the addicted family member. When the abuser is a parent or parents, many people wonder about how are the children coping psychologically,

The family is the fundamental source of attachment, socialization, and nurturing (Zimic & Jakic, 2012). When attachment needs are not met as the result of substance use multiple aspects of the family are affected. These include experiencing unmet developmental needs, poorly developed familial relationships, financial difficulties, and emotional and behavioral problems. In addition, children living in this environment have an increased risk of developing attachment and substance use disorders as well (Zimic & Jakic, 2012). The consequences of substance use disorders have a profound impact on the family system (Landers, Howsare, & Byrne, 2013). The family environment carries information indicating how substance use disorders begin and evolve. Substance use disorders create a dysfunctional family unit perpetuating emotional and behavioral patterns that result in negative outcomes (Landers et al.,

In this phase, the patient reaches out to others who try to help him identify the damaging effect of addiction, realize that he suffers from the disease, and break the circle. In this phase, patient may experience denial, refusing to accept that he is an addict or thinking that he may result the problem by cutting down in the drug used rather than eliminating it totally. A counselor intervenes to help the patient to see the benefits of a drug-free lifestyle. A goal is set in place to restrain patient from using illicit drugs and to attend the scheduled counseling. Family should understand that approaching love ones during this time should be gentle and supportive. Caring for families, the nurse may identify an expected outcome that the family members will not take on the addict’s illness; rather, the family will provide support for recovery and seek healthy family functioning whether the family chooses recovery or not (Frisch,

With this research I will examine the emotional distress of loved ones to addicts. This will includes mothers, father, brothers, sisters, girlfriends, or boyfriends. Specifically in my research I chose to focus in two different parties. Two Opiate addicts, one relapsed, and one recovering/sober, and both of the mother’s and both of their girlfriend’s. I have found a few scholarly studies to connect my data with that hold high regard to this issue. I will pair my data with outside information to create an optimum abundance of effectual information.

The above role play was the first family psychoeducation therapy session that included the client and her parents. Here, the social work intern provides information on substance use disorder, facilitates the interactions, and provides community resource. Family psychoeducation is the primary treatment model applied with the family; conjointly includes elements of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. A major purpose of the session, was extending the therapeutic relationship with the entire family, acknowledging and providing a means to express caregiver stress and subsequent impact on the client. Furthermore, proffer educational material and behavior management, and lastly rendered information on community resources.

Counselor initialized conversation of the dangers of change in correlation to sobriety and its maintenance. Client was respondent to conversation and verbalized viewing his recent move as motivation for maintaining sobriety and looked forward towards the prospect of being a "real family" (client, girlfriend, and son under one roof) because of it.