How Addiction Affects Families

Addiction can and often has an effect on the families of the addicted individual that most people never think about becauae so much attention is put on the individual and their recovery.  Families need to realize that this addiction, this disease, affects them just as much. Believe it or not many of the things that affect the family of an addict are similar to some of the things an addict goes through. Being able to recognize the signs of these effects can help the family heal and be better prepared to assist in the recovery of their child. Here are just some of the stages a family may experience as parents of an addict or alcoholic.

Intoxication -- Not literal but more emotional. These emotions "intoxicate" a person so that they change the way they feel when they indulge in them. Emotions like shame, guilt, resentment, self-pity, worry, and anger.  Intoxicant emotions may energize a person or slow him or her down so that he or she can't function well. Sometimes these emotional states are as unpredictable as those that affect the alcoholic when he/she picks up a drink or drug. 

Concern. This is usually at the beginning and typically when you're acting out of a genuine concern. You are only beginning to experience the effects of alcohol and drug abuse by a loved one. At this early stage there's really no indication as to what you will be dealing with later on.

Defense. This stage is connected denial where familes are trying to not recognize or accept the reality that thier child is an alcoholic or addict. You may have heard the term "blockout." This literal term defines the family blocking out the issue in the same way an addict or alcoholic try to deny their illness.

Adaptation. The continued attempts at denial gives way to adaptation where you may try to change their own behavior to adapt to the addict's behavior. This could lead to obsessive behavior that could actually provoke you in substance abuse themselves. Some take the other extreme of becoming the perfect parent. During this phase is when many parent feel like they're losing control and may often lose sight of their own personal care because of the obsessive amount of time they spend caring for their child.

Exhaustion -- Wiped out from adapting the only recourse left is to defend their intoxicant emotional behavior just the way addicts defend their abuse. Self-worth goes to an all time low and can lead to anxiety and depression. It is here when the parent can be cited to have reached "bottom."

Climbing Back To The Top

Just like when an addict reaches bottom, this is when a parent must come to terms with their own issues in dealing with an addicted child and accept help to deal with their issues. Mark Houston Recovery wants you to know that help is here for you to get back to where you need to be so you can help you child on the path to recovery.