How Substance Abuse Affects Families
When a person becomes addicted to a drug, it often affects the people around them. Although the others are not actually using the drug, they sometimes feel its effects in different ways. An addict does not always realize how their actions are impacting the people they love, but family and friends do pay a price as well.
Financial Effects:
When an addict lives with his/her family, they may spend more money on their addiction than their budget allows. Money that is needed for bills or food may be spent on drugs and it leaves the rest of the family responsible for making up the loss. Additionally, if the addiction becomes severe, an addict may steal from their loved ones in order to get a high and again the family is left to figure out the issues that are created.
Exposure Effects:
Exposure may begin in someone’s life before they are ever born. If a woman is pregnant and still using drugs, her unborn baby may face irreparable damages. And later, when someone begins (or continues) to use drugs in their everyday life, it is not long before the people around them begin to notice. Children are sometimes exposed to these drugs and do not even understand what they are. The largest problem with this is that exposure leads to familiarity and could potentially cause them to consider using drugs in the future.
Emotional Effects:
Despite the numerous battles that families of addicts have to fight, the emotional one may be the toughest. Children may lose their parents and adults lose their siblings or spouses to addiction, and the loss is immeasurable. Often times, the loved ones feel the stress from the addiction when they try to cover up the addict’s problems as well as argue with them about what is going on. Addiction may cause more arguments and sometimes even physical abuse, and people can only handle so much.
Sources:
Substance Abuse- Effects of Substance Abuse on Families
http://family.jrank.org/pages/1647/Substance-Abuse-Effects-Substance-Abuse-on-Families.html
Drug Abuse and Addiction
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/drug_substance_abuse_addiction_signs_effects
_treatment.htm
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