Every family has members who suffer from substance abuse and consequently addiction. These family members may be present within the nuclear or extended family. Substance abuse addictions can have a tough impact on the success of the family unit and consequently have tremendous effects on the family’s effectiveness. Therefore, the knowledge on effects of substance abuse and addictions is important to families. In a fete to understand the impact of addictions, scholars have come up with several theories which seek to explain the origin of addictions and their impacts on family units. They include genetic theories, Adaptation Theories and Psychological theories of addiction.
Genetic Theories of adaptation are those which explain seek to separate the environmental factors from the genetic factors of addiction they seek to explain that a person’s addictive behaviour is inherited or engraved within their genetic code. Adaptation theories analyse the social and psychological functions that are performed by drug effects. It seeks to explain that a person can utilise the effects of a drug to cope with specific issues within their life and pressures within their life. Lastly, psychological theories of addiction seek to understand why people behave in the manner they do. These theories seek to explain the origin of dependence through analysis of a person’s behaviour and thought processes. From this analysis, evidence can be derived from the causes of certain addictive behaviours within different person’s lives (Peele, 1998).
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Substance addiction of any member of the family has extremely negative effects on the behavioural, psychological, physical and social state of the family. Many families are ashamed of their members who are addicted to drugs and thus seek to hide them away. This, in turn, creates a rift within the family where individuals seek to hide the “embarrassing reality” regarding one of their members (Peele, 1998). Psychologically, the family’s dynamic is disrupted as the concentration shifts from unity to curing substance abuse. The process can be financially straining on the family unit, especially where the member has to be taken to rehabilitation facilities to recuperate. Over time, the family drifts apart as many members continue to blame themselves for various events and seek better methods to ensure the recuperation of the individual, gradually giving up as more people within the society become aware of the situation (Peele, 1998).
In most situations, where the substance abuser is the head of the family, other members of the family may be experiencing domestic violence as a result. Domestic violence can be in the form of intimidation, threats, forced sex, killing or maiming of pets, destruction of family member’s property, slapping, or any other physical form of abuse that may result in injury or death. It is important to identify the signs of domestic violence in a home where there is a substance abuser to ensure a person maintains a safe distance and seeks help where required (“Domestic Violence and Abuse,” n.d.).
In any relationship, or family, the person who is acting out and inflicting pain on other members of the family to have control and dominate over them deliberately is the abuser. To identify the abuser, there are many signs, for instance, where a person fears their father, or spouse and also fears for their life, then they are in an abusive relationship (Pernicano, 2012). Additionally, a person may be afraid to talk about a certain topic(s) with their spouses or heads of the family. Where a person feels as though they are not capable of doing anything right within the family and are constantly being forced to believe that they deserve to be mistreated and where a person feels emotionally numb and helpless. These are the most common signs indicating that a person may face domestic violence or abuse (“Domestic Violence and Abuse,” n.d.). It is important that people recognise the various treatments that are associated with domestic violence. A substance addict can be sent to rehabilitation facilities where they would recuperate from the substance abuse. The family members can then be exposed to therapies that can include medical or psychological counselling depending on the depth of their trauma. The process of identifying the facilities requires a member of the family to step forth and seek out other individuals who can intervene where the family members, whether immediate or extended, have failed to address the situation. Living with a substance abuse addiction is a difficult decision, especially where domestic violence and abuse is also experienced, and it is important to seek out treatment early (Pernicano, 2012).
References
Domestic Violence and Abuse: Recognizing the Signs of an Abusive Relationship and Getting Help. (n.d.). Retrieved January 8, 2018, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/domestic-violence-and-abuse.htm
Peele, S. (1998). Chapter 3: Theories of Addiction. In The Meaning of Addiction: An Unconventional View . Wiley.
Pernicano, P. (2012). Outsmarting the Riptide of Domestic Violence: Metaphor and Mindfulness for Change . Estover Road, Plymouth, United Kingdom: Jason Aronson.
