Addiction is a Family Disease.

 

Families of addicts, including both immediate family

members and often extended family members as

well, are affected in some way by the individual’s

substance abuse. Addiction impacts a family’s

finances, physical health, and psychological

wellbeing.

Family Roles in Addiction.

In every family unit, each person plays a role (or

multiple roles) to help the family function better and

to maintain a level of homeostasis, stability, and

balance. The effects of drug addiction on family

members vary, but when substance abuse is added to

this dynamic, the family roles naturally shift to

adjust to the new behaviors associated with drug or

alcohol use to continue maintaining order and

balance.2 Including the addict, there are six family

roles in addiction that are used to understand how

the family functions around the substance abuser.

Many chronic substance abusers feel great shame,

guilt, and remorse about the pain and distress

they’ve caused their families. However, there are

also many addicts who do not want to cease their

substance abuse. This choice can cause great anger

and resentment throughout the family.

When these roles are established during childhood,

they become behavioral patterns that continue to

play out and evolve throughout adulthood.

 

The effects of drug addiction on family members

when the addiction is developed later in life creates

another set of issues, as many family roles have

already been firmly set. The blurred line between

parent/child relationships and parent/friend

relationships also make the situation more difficult

to remedy.