Where do I start other than saying that we here at Believe detox center know first hand the impact addiction has on families. That’s why every single day we are doing our part to reduce the impact that it’s having. Addiction is defined as a chronic relapsing disorder. It’s characterized as compulsive drug seeking, continued use despite harmful consequences and long lasting changes on the brain addiction. Most definitely has an impact on families as it not just affects the individual but also their relationships with family members financial stability and emotional well-being.
Some of the statistics when it comes to addiction are as follows approximately 21 million Americans have at least one addiction. Addiction rates have decreased though by 50% in the last decade, but it must and should be noted that it’s still running rampant in our communities and our families. The opioid crisis alone has taken the lives of over 500,000 people between the years of 1999 and 2019. Alcohol use disorder affects about 14.5 million adults in the US current and from looking at the statistics. We know that addiction is still a major issue.
Family dynamics are also affected and impacted drastically by addiction. The emotional impact alone can be devastating. Families often experience, shame, guilt and fear associated with the loved ones addiction while having to find ways to support that one person because they love them and don’t want them to be lost altogether. Families often report an increased rate of anxiety and depression as opposed to those families that are not impacted by addiction. To be specific the data says the percentage rate is to be 20% higher for those dealing with addiction in their households.
Often times when it comes to the family structure there is a communication breakdown. Addiction helps pull several obstacles and this is definitely one of those. Barriers and open communication often lead to misunderstandings in conflict breakdowns and more. Not to mention families may avoid discussing addiction which leads to perpetuating, secrecy, and isolation. Another impact that addiction has on families is it often places a financial strain on the household. The financial burden of addiction can lead to bankruptcy loss of housing and increase healthcare costs. To state it simply family! spent an average of $26,000 a year on addiction related expenses on average.
Children are obviously impacted by addiction. When someone in the family, more specifically one of the adult adults is battling addiction that increases the rate and risk percentage for neglect. Children in homes with addiction are more likely to experience not just neglect with physical abuse as well, it should be noted that the impact of addiction therefore should be looked at at times as generational because at the very least, the trauma that the child observes could lead to them battling addiction in later years. The children of parents who were battling addiction, issues or substance use disorder are three times more likely to develop substance use disorders themselves. Also higher rates of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression are often reported amongst the children of those parents that are battling substance use disorder.
Additional challenges that addiction poses on the family structure can fall into the lane of educational. Children in environments where addiction is an issue often have lower academic performance, and not to mention an increased rate of dropping out from school many of us that are battling addiction as adults did grow up in households were addiction was prevalent. That being said it is imperative that recovery and support systems be put in place when addiction becomes an issue within a family structure family therapy involves family members in the recovery process in improving communication and understanding amongst one another. This is beneficial not just to the adults but obviously the children as well
Other forms of support our programs like other forms of support like NA and AA other family support driven groups and more. Support groups help reduce feelings of isolation and promote healing. They can also help you identify additional resources needed for you and your family to continue for that may have been impacted by addiction or substance use disorder. I definitely want to take the time to note right here that believe detox center facilitating an online sobriety support group every single Saturday it’s available to the public free of charge because we want not just the person but the people that are supporting the person to have support when it comes to battling addiction.
In conclusion, addiction is a family disease that affects every member in various ways. When we look at certain families, we can see unfortunately where addiction has flagged possibly for generations, raising awareness, providing support and encouraging open conversations can help families navigate the challenges of addiction, substance use disorder and more The importance of community resources, and professional help and recovery for both individuals and families should definitely be noted as everyone needs support when it comes to battling something that can be very daunting at times like addiction. Please check back weekly as we will continue to post informative blogs, and also be here as a detox and residential center dedicated to helping those wanting to take the first step in the recovery.
