How Addiction Affects Families and How to Cope

How Addiction Affects Families: Support and Recovery is not something most families want to think about. When someone is in active addiction their family has the power to provide unwavering support and physical comfort. Sadly, this is not the case for everyone. Some family set ups can be a setting for very destructive emotions and behaviours. Sometimes addiction runs in the family. A child who lives with family members using drugs, injecting, committing crime to pay for them and/or being alcohol dependent can really sow the seeds for a future dependency. If a parent is self harming due to drug use, engaging in sex work, pawning the television to get a fix, these memories are likely to cause trauma.

If you need 24 hour addiction help we provide Free Rehab Advice UK. Here at Find Me a Rehab, we have experienced addictions clinicians who will provide free, confidential and impartial advice to anyone.

How Addiction Affects Families

The children and partners of those caught up in addiction can foster feelings of betrayal as well as abandonment. Understanding how addiction manifests itself can be a useful way of breaking the cycle yet even an in depth knowledge of the subject might not protect someone from the pain of discovering a loved one is caught up in the madness of addiction. The reality of coming to terms with the fact is much less of a burden when you have the support of clinicians and therapists experienced in addiction treatment and rehab.

How Does an Addiction Develop?

Addiction is a very serious illness with a high mortality rate. Just as you would not try and treat a broken leg with paracetamol, so addiction needs specialist intervention. Addiction changes the brain: Literally. The reason someone behaves as they do when caught up in addiction is not by choice but because their brain is being programmed by chemical changes. In time, the persons continued use will radically alter feelings, thought processes and perceptions. The use will increase unless specialist help is sought.

In time, the user will prioritise their drug and alcohol use over anything else: Not because they choose to do this but because their brain directs it. Addiction also increases Dopamine levels, a natural feelgood chemical, so this also perpetuates use.

Continued drug and alcohol use also means that the brain becomes dependent on them and not using can cause an acute medical emergency or even death.

Drug and alcohol dependency is not just a problem in households where people are living in poverty and or chaos. Alcohol and drug addiction is an equal opportunities illness. It matters not where you live, or what you do for a living.

Signs and Symptoms of Substance Use

People who are addicted to drugs and alcohol are very adept at keeping secrets and also telling people what they want to hear. Addiction changes behaviour due to the changes in the brain from drug and alcohol use. The visual signs of addiction are not always clear. Some are very subtle while others are obvious. The way a person looks, their behaviour and mental functioning are good indicators. Within the family network, relationships can be severely damaged by addiction: Sometimes they are beyond repair.

Addiction is a powerful force. It can make already difficult situations worse. If someone has depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions they are likely to get significantly worse. While films and television programmes will use addiction in storylines, not every person who is addicted to heroin will be skeletally thin and not every person using cocaine has a damaged nose and sniffs every five seconds. Does every alcoholic have a reddened nose, distended abdomen and shaking hands? No.

If you need 24 hour addiction help we provide Free Rehab Advice UK. Here at Find Me a Rehab, we have experienced addictions clinicians who will provide free, confidential and impartial advice to anyone.

How Addiction Affects Families

We could give you a list of things to look out for but it isn’t quite as simple as that. Addiction takes over all the facets of someone’s existence, it isn’t just about physical appearance. These changes occur over time: not overnight!

What can I do to help a family member?

The first thing to remember is that your loved one has an illness. It is not as simple as just saying no to drugs and alcohol. Their brain has been altered and recovery takes time with the input of specialists. Thus, showing empathy and support is crucial.

Providing information of treatment options is a positive step. Accompanying them to see their GP, going with them to local authority service provision or a private service is an ideal way of showing support. However, it is important to remember that you can not force change. We strongly discourage the use of “interventionists”.

This is an unregulated area. Coercion doesn’t work. Even if you did manage to get the person to accept help by using an interventionist, it is highly likely to destroy your relationship with that family member. No reputable centre will allow you to book someone in without a comprehensive assessment with that family member by an experienced and suitably qualified professional from that service. Trying to circumvent these vital safeguards puts the addict at serious risk and also yourself at risk of prosecution of kidnap. All treatment for addiction, in the UK, is voluntary.

How Addiction Affects Families

The UK has a number of residential addiction treatment centres. Many referral agents will try and tell you there are more than there are and use somewhat ingenious methods to try and convince you. After all, they are after commission! Our experienced addictions clinicians have worked in many of the most well known and established centres. There advice is free, confidential and impartial. They are not tied to any service and will provide a free referral service.

If you need 24 hour addiction help we provide Free Rehab Advice UK. Here at Find Me a Rehab, we have experienced addictions clinicians who will provide free, confidential and impartial advice to anyone.

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