Abuse In Family

Drug and substance abuse affect the lives of both the abuser and the family members. "Substance abuse on the part of parents, like domestic abuse, can lead to any child maltreatment. Parents under the influence of drugs or alcohol can physically, sexually, or emotionally abuse their children and often do." The use of drugs and other substances for reasons other than medical purposes is likely to result in a variety of negative impacts ranging from health, social, physical, emotional to psychological consequences. A majority of substance abusers are unaware of the different effects their personal choices and behaviors has on other people, specifically on their close allies (neighbors, friends) and the family members. Drug addiction in the family …show more content…
For example, a wife or husband can adapt to the drug addicts needs by becoming co-dependent. This means living with the abuser by any means necessary. Furthermore “Codependency is a term which describes a double-sided relationship in which one person enables and the other controls. This relationship can happen between just two people, as in the husband/wife relationship, but sometimes it can be seen in the family unit as a whole. When a loved one has a drug or alcohol abuse problem, the spouse or family members will often respond by attempting to hide the fact from outsiders. Enablers believe they are acting in a loving way when, in fact, they are merely deepening the abuse habit.” A majority of the time drug abusers seek partners with low self-esteem, which allows them to gain more control over their significant other. So much so that the family structure revolves around the addict’s habits and needs. The chaos brought upon by the drug addict can significantly affect a child especially when they receive little to no attention at all for their well …show more content…
The situation exposes the family members who are innocent into lots of troubles and has different impacts on the various family structures in the society. These results are equally dangerous and thus the need to look into all the effects. One way to approach issues of drug and substance abuse is the family therapy where the family members with the alcohol and drug addictions are helped to recover. What is important in family therapy is finding the right counselor or therapist that will provide the necessary counseling or therapy concerning the abuse of drugs and