An Addict’s Family Members are Also Victims of Addiction
Posted by Rehab | Posted in Addiction Recovery | Posted on 28-10-2010
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For the family members of a drug addict to watch their loved one deteriorate, and to watch the addiction destroy everything that once mattered to them, is heartbreaking. The family members want to help the addict, but they often feel helpless because they don’t know what to do.
Should they take a hard line and cast the person out in the hope that this will push them to seek recovery? Or should they shower them with affection so that they know they have people who love them?
Recovery for an individual from a chemical dependency is a great challenge at the best of times. But the process can become a great deal more problematic when it is an entire family that is suffering.
There are several elements in play when one member of a family is struggling with a substance abuse problem. This can also be true of food addictions or other behavioural addictions.
The family dynamics can complicate the response to the addiction because patterns that have existed in the family for many years can be hard to break. When a parent has been used to taking care of their child since they were born, it may be tough for them to turn that off when the child turns into a drug addict. It is difficult to begin applying tough love when you haven’t done it before.
If the parent becomes an enabler then they can do a lot more harm than good. They can minimize the negative behaviour of their child, making excuses and indirectly encouraging the addict to continue their using behaviour.
The parent may even directly encourage the addiction by lending money to the addict, or giving them a place to live when they are evicted from an apartment. They may inadvertently protect their child from the negative consequences of abusing drugs or alcohol.
It is important for the addict to find the support they need to recover. But it’s also important for the family to come to terms with how the addiction has affected them. This is usually only possible when professional help is called in. Treatment programs exist that not only help the addict the change the direction of their lives, but also that help the family to cope with the crisis. With this kind of intervention it becomes possible to imagine a healthier and happier future.
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makes me want to drink alchoholic beverages
It’s better to express than surpressing what you actually feel =)
If drinking is only going to surpress and running away from what your life is experiencing, then don’t do it. You are not going to learn and grow without experiencing the real journeys.
Let God and Let Live
Have a sober and happy life!
P.S. For family members outthere … Stay strong on your ground, miracles do come =)
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