How Alcohol and Drug Addiction affects families

The plight of a family with alcohol and drug addiction suffers effects beyond actual addiction. To begin with, their homes become battle grounds, children become less supportive, siblings become rivals and friends give up on them. Eventually, addiction touches the lives of all the loved ones of the addict be it their spouse, parent, child or friend.

Families suffer the major effect from drug and alcohol addiction. The effect varies from family to family as the dynamics in relationships differ. In some cases, the family members choose not to interact with the addicts anymore to avoid the trauma. In others cases, they try to help. Some try ride the middle lane by trying to adjust to the circumstances. The result is strained relationships, crippled finances, lost jobs and social stigma. Depending on the relationship with the addict each and everyone of them suffers in a different way. 

Spouse of an Addict with Alcohol and Drug Addiction

Spouses of the addicts have a unique impact of addiction on the quality of their lives. Daily arguments, loss of money and job, extra responsibility of child care, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, social stigma, physical abuse, legal conflicts are a common place for the spouse of an addict. 

Addiction tends to take the steering wheel of the family’s shared life. Being the spouse of an addict is not an easy deal. It can depressing to see alcohol and drugs are take more control of your loved one over time. The impaired judgement that is a result of using of drugs creates more conflict everyday and intensifies with progressing addiction. Each day ends up turning into a struggle due to increasing needs of care and attention to the deteriorating addict at home. Not being able to properly care for their child’s needs makes them feel guilty. Most spouses of addicts eventually end up abusing drugs themselves to overcome the agony or they simply lose their health to stress. 

Children of Addicts

Children growing up in households with alcohol or drug addiction related disorders are subjected to various kinds of abuse. It could be physical or emotional and it could be on a daily basis. The amount of torment in such cases depends on whether they are under the care of a single parent or both parents. The suffering can also depend on if one or both parents are addicted. 

Children under the care of a single addicted parent suffer enormously. Firstly, their voices are unheard, educational needs and medical needs are unmet and they are forced to hide their emotions. Secondly, the home nurtures secrecy and role reversal. Children brought up in these environments eventually end up becoming anti-social, low self-confident individuals. When they grow up they lack compassion for fellow beings and exhibit aggressive behaviour.

Children under the care of both parents are better off the ones with a single parent. In such cases, even if one parent is suffering from drug or alcohol addiction and cannot care for them then the other one can. it results in the non-addicted parent catering to the needs of both the children and the addict. More often than not, children brought up in these house holds become insecure and highly vulnerable when they grow up. 

In cases where both the parents struggle with addiction, children experience a bitter childhood. It leads to they tall themselves abusing alcohol or drugs. Studies indicate that 1 in 8 children is currently living with a parent who suffers from an alcohol or drug addiction.

Parents of Addicts

Parents with an addicted child face a unique set of problems. They especially experience a guilt that makes them believe that they are bad parents. They are also constantly plagued by the thoughts of safety and wellbeing of their child. Some parents hence take on an overbearing and enabling role as it is painful for them to watch their children suffer. Others may try to deviate them by supporting them financially. They do this due to the hope that their children will one day turn around or recover. But it doesn’t help because addiction is a disease and not a choice. However, every effort they make other than seeking treatment only creates an inappropriately reliant relationship as their child grows up.

Siblings of Addicts

Siblings of addicts are intangible victims who experience an array of unsettling emotions like chaos, frustration, embarrassment, resentment, and more. Addicts consume a lot of their parent’s time and their siblings start to feel neglected. The siblings behave differently to attract the attention of their parents. Some of them choose not to think about their spoilt sibling. Others readily follow their path and become addicts too. 

Financial Hardships caused by Addiction

Addiction is an expensive disease. Addicts funnel all their finances to maintain their addiction. They end up getting fired from their jobs and start pestering their family for food, shelter, medicine and for their addiction too. Families usually tend to take the financial responsibility for an addicted family member. Families end up paying for a lawyer to bail addicts out for their legal troubles resulting from their alcohol and drug addiction. 

Why Phoenix Rehab is the best choice for recovery from Drug Addiction

Phoenix Rehab is one of the leading rehabs for Alcohol and Drug Addiction in India. The Drug and Alcohol Addiction Recovery Program at Phoenix is reliable, effective and supported by experienced therapists. Our drug de-addiction program is one of the best in the country. It is based on the 12 Step Program approved by the World Health Organization. Our program is supported by an expert team and in our state of the art facility in Hyderabad, India. Our multi-disciplinary, holistic and medically guided approach can help heal from the physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual ailments of addiction.We have in over a decade of our service enabled hundreds of successful recoveries.