The families of an addicted person are considered the silent victims of addiction. This is because the main focus of addiction intervention is the addict and little thought is given to their loved-ones.
Many parents, siblings, spouses and children are subjected to the negative effects of addiction but only few are given the chance to heal and recover from their traumatic experiences. Here’s how families are hurt by drug addiction-
Financial Problems
Supporting one’s addiction is expensive and treating the effects and problems that resulted from it is also expensive. Aside from that, most addicts are unable to maintain their jobs and can no longer support their family financially. All of these cause undue stress to other family members who need to take over the responsibility.
Health Issues
This is another problem that families of an individual suffering from drugs or alcohol addiction. Most of the time, these people sacrifice their own health because they need to work harder or spend more time taking care of their addicted loved-one. Aside from that, they also suffer some mental health problems that go untreated due to the stress of the situation.
Domestic Violence
Addiction affects the individual’s ability to think clearly and rationally and this often leads to domestic violence. Statistics show that over half of domestic violence reports involve alcohol and drug abuse. And that’s just counting the reported cases, how many more goes unreported?
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is the most common things families experience. They are subjected to the mood swings and erratic behavior of their loved-ones, and are not given a chance to express their own emotions.
Social Isolation
There’s always a stigma when it comes to drug addiction and it’s not just limited to the addicted individual but extends to their families as well. This makes them an outcast in the society. Plus, the embarrassment and need to hide the problem also lead to social isolation.
Just as the addict needs help, their loved-ones are also in dire need of assistance. They may not feel what the addict feels but their suffering and hurt is just as bad. If you or someone you know is in this predicament, don’t hesitate to seek help from qualified counselors.