How Alcohol and Drug Abuse Affects All Members of the Family

How Alcohol and Drug Abuse Affects All Members of the Family

How Alcohol and Drug Abuse Affects All Members of the FamilyAlcohol and drug abuse are often said to be “family diseases.” This is true, in that alcohol and drug abuse affects entire families for multiple generations. People living in the same household with someone struggling with addiction are clearly heavily affected on a daily basis. But even those who live apart, yet invest their own feelings in the well-being of their loved one are damaged.

How Alcohol and Drug Abuse Affects All Members of the Family

Most people engaged in alcohol and drug abuse don’t even realize the depth of negativity they inflict upon those around them. When a family member abuses drugs or alcohol, the family suffers in the following ways:

  • They can’t rely on their loved one’s word or promises
  • Their needs are often forgotten by the person who is abusing substances
  • Selfish behavior by the loved one disappoints the whole family unit
  • Money and personal items are often stolen to support the loved one’s substance abuse
  • Income is unstable in light of addiction affecting the loved one’s work
  • They miss quality time spent in past years with their loved one
  • Arguments, stress and conflict take over the household
  • There is immense shame for everyone regarding the individual’s substance abuse
  • Every member of the family is forced to cover up and lie for their loved one to protect them

Multiple Generations of the Family Suffer from Alcohol and Drug Abuse of One Person

When one person in the family engages in ongoing alcohol and drug use or suffers from addiction, the whole family suffers for multiple generations. Of course, there may be subsequent addiction within the family as one major side effect. But there are other ways families suffer, even when no other drug or alcohol abuse occurs beyond this one family member.

Families become programmed to experience the following:

  • Helplessness throughout their lives
  • Depression from unexpressed emotions
  • Anxiety without clear cause
  • Emotional shutdown
  • Distorted reasoning
  • Inability to trust
  • Lack of faith
  • Hypervigilance
  • Unhealthy bond formation
  • Lack of acceptance of support or caring
  • Black and white thinking
  • Hyper-reactivity to triggers
  • High risk behavior
  • Psychological dysfunction
  • Desire to self-medicate

Healing Springs Ranch in Tioga, Texas Understands Family Dynamics in Recovery

When you seek recovery from drugs or alcohol, it’s important that you gain the support, guidance, care and education you need from addiction treatment professionals highly experienced in trauma therapies and support for the whole family. Through this directed treatment, you can heal your family and break the chain of succession that substance abuse can place on multiple generations of loved ones.

Get the healing help your whole family needs from Healing Springs Ranch in Tioga, TX by calling 866-656-8384. Your family needs recovery as much as you do, so don’t wait any longer to make this call.