Perhaps the people who are most torn apart by drug addiction, other than the addicts themselves, are the addicts’ family members. The effects of drug addiction on an addict’s family are emotional, financial and physical. A person on drugs can become violent and domestic assault occurs frequently. The number of such cases is on the rise as more and more people from all walks of life fall victim to drug addiction.
People on drugs or alcohol can withdraw into themselves and refuse to take part in family and daily activities. A person can miss out on special occasions and events with friends, and before they know it, life has passed by and all they remember is that they stayed locked up in their house with a bottle of booze or a lot of pills. If they have young children, they too miss out on special occasions as they are forced to stay home and live in their rooms while their parent is in a stupor once again.
It is not always a parent though. Sometimes a teenager can be the one who gets hooked on drugs or starts a relationship with alcohol that can turn a family upside down. The teen loses focus, their grades start slipping, and they no longer take part in activities at school, such as sports. They withdraw from family and friends and sometimes they make new friends who are also into drugs or alcohol. If they are the older child, they become a role model that the younger children should not follow but because the younger siblings love their older brother or sister, confusion sets in often followed by anger.
The effects of substance abuse on family members changes everyone’s lives but there is help and hope for them and the one addicted to drugs. To truly and successfully recover, everyone involved needs a support system. Family members have a support group available because there are others who have been there and understand the isolation, pain and frustration that these families can feel, along with the dynamics involved when a family is dealing with a substance abuse problem.
Knowing that there is a problem and knowing how to get help for the addict and for themselves are all key steps to recovery. It can be done but everyone involved needs to take that first step.
