Most people perceive addiction as a personal problem, but its effects go beyond the user. The use of substances affects the spouse, children, parents, and siblings. However, the effects of addiction differ from one user to the other. Some become violent and abusive, leading to conflicts and loss of trust with family members.
Financial Burden
Addiction is expensive. Unfortunately, most addicts lose jobs or businesses due to poor performance. Once the source of income is gone, addicts use their savings and steal from family members. The family will cater for basic things and treatment at https://www.infiniterecovery.com/drug-rehab-houston/ If an addict is caught driving under the influence or selling drugs, the financial burden will fall on the family.
Increased Chances of More Addicts In the Family
Studies show that substance abuse runs in families, and the chances of more siblings getting into addiction are higher. Parents are role models to their children, and if they take substances, their children may imitate them. Other family members may take drugs to escape the chaos at home, which creates a pattern of addiction in a family.
Parental Grief and Fear
Parents are the most affected when their children become addicts. The agony of seeing their children wasting their lives can lead to grief and self-blame. Since you can’t predict the behavior of an addict, the family lives in fear and can do anything just to appease the addict. In some cases, parents shift their attention to the addicted child neglecting the rest.
Burden of Caregiving
Long-term use of drugs and substances can lead to diseases and disorders such as cancer, mental disorders, stroke, lung disease, and cardiovascular illness. Once an addict gets sick, family members will take on the role of a caregiver, which causes financial and physical strain. In addition, the caregiver becomes stressed and hopeless.
Increased Stress
If one partner is in addiction, they will likely leave all the responsibilities to their partners. Taking care of the children, bills, medical care, and household chores can overburden one parent, leading to stress. Long-term stress can lead to depression or chances of high blood pressure.
Loss of Trust
Addicts tend to separate themselves from other family members and stop engaging in family activities and spending time together. This causes frustration for the family, as the addicts fail to honor their promises and meet obligations. If the trend continues, there will be a complete loss of trust in the family, leading to separation.
Divorce/Separation
Married partners should live in harmony, share responsibilities, and trust each other. However, if a partner gets into drugs, they will abscond responsibilities, become violent and engage in an extramarital affair when intoxicated. This leads to strained relationships, divorce, or even death from physical abuse.
Impacts on Children
Parental addiction affects children’s development. Parents who use drugs or substances spend a lot of time taking drugs and thus neglect parental responsibilities. As a result, children lack basic needs, care and drop out of school. Addiction is also linked to child abuse and strained relationships between parents and children, leading to children running away from home.
Increased Physical Abuses
Addiction leads to aggressiveness, anger, frustration, and verbal abuse. When a person is under the influence, there is a higher chance of being violent towards others. Parents may beat up and shout at their children, and a wife/husband can become physical and harm their partner. Constant fights can lead to fear and insecurity in the family.
Addiction has many effects on the family, such as loss of trust, financial constraints, physical abuse, increased stress, and fear. It’s also hard to cope with an addict, leading to divorce and other impacts on children.
