Addiction doesn’t just damage the person who’s addicted. It affects friends, families, co-workers, and pretty much everyone else who is involved in the addict’s life. While this damage can be difficult to cope with – and, in some cases, quite severe – it can always be healed. In this article, we’re going to discuss how you can help your family heal after it has been affected by addiction.
Remember, seeking San Diego drug rehab is one of the best ways to help you and your loved ones stay safe in recovery.
How Families Can Be Affected by Addiction
There are a lot of ways that a family can be affected by someone’s addiction. A family can be affected when one of its members becomes addicted, or when one of its member’s friends or partners struggles with addiction.
These are some of the most common issues faced by families with loved ones in addiction.
● The simple stress of caring for a loved one struggling with an addiction can be traumatic.
● Many drug users and alcoholics struggle financially, and some of them turn to theft to help them finance their addictions. This can break trust among their family members or anyone else that they steal with.
● Drug addiction tends to lead to emotional instability. Drug addicts are more likely to lash out and behave irrationally than sober people. This can lead to long-lasting repercussions and alter relationships.
● Some drug addicts and alcoholics can become violent during their addictions. This can lead to domestic abuse and related traumas.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways in which addiction can affect a family. These issues can be exacerbated if you’re living with a drug user during the COVID-19 quarantine. Fortunately, there are many ways to overcome this damage.
How to Heal from Familial Damage
The first thing that you’re going to need to do is to ensure that the addict is sobered up, or at least committed to recovery. Otherwise, they’ll likely fall into the same behavior patterns. Once they have sobered up, you can begin to start rebuilding trust.
● Consider seeking family therapy. Some rehab companies offer family therapy that can help the family and the addict reconcile their issues.
● Start slowly. If you were stolen from, you may not feel comfortable leaving your purse lying around in the same room as the recovering addict. However, over time, you will become more comfortable leaving valuables around them.
● Be open and honest. Discuss the issues. Chances are the recovering addict who feels guilty about what they’ve done. Even though you are upset, try to approach them with compassion and understanding.
Conclusion
Drug addiction can be dangerous and destructive, and it can impact the families of those who are addicted. However, in most cases, this damage doesn’t have to be permanent. As long as you are open-minded and willing to forgive, you should be able to heal any familial damage done by a struggling drug user.
Written by Nigel Ford
