Understanding the Widespread Effects of Substance Abuse and Addiction

 By Brian McAlister

“I can quit if I want to; I just don’t want to.” “I’m not bothering anyone, so why don’t you leave me alone and mind your own business?” If these retorts sound familiar, you’re not alone. During active addiction, I made similar excuses to my parents, wife and siblings. Since getting sober, other sick family members did, too. Addiction is a disease because we all have the same symptoms.

Whether it’s heroin or another drug of choice, an active substance abuser can wreak havoc on the family unit. Addiction systematically removes all joy from the home. Peace and harmony are replaced by tension, anxiety, frustration, fear and financial instability. The addict is like a tornado ripping the family apart.  Unpredictability becomes commonplace and normalcy a fading memory.

The unconditional love, loyalty, patience and financial commitment family members show loved ones suffering addiction is commendable but often ineffective. Parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, spouses and children confronted with addiction often lack the training and financial resources required to help their loved one get well.

Substance Abuse and Addiction in Children and Parents

Interacting with a substance abuser has well documented predictable responses. If, for example, a child is the substance abuser, the responses can be parental inconsistency, lack of boundaries, negative verbal reinforcements (you’ll never amount to anything), denial, enabling (not letting the substance misuser face the consequences of poor decisions) and blaming others to name a few.

Before dismissing a possible substance abuse problem in a child as a phase, keep in mind that 75% of high school students have used an addictive substance (opioids, heroin, other commonly abused drugs) and one in five qualify as addicts. Nine out of 10 addicts report using their substance of choice before the age of 18 and 17% of teenagers admit to driving under the influence.

Now is the time to act. As a parent, you still can exert some influence on a child. It may seem difficult, but it is well worth the time and investment. You can set boundaries and insist on accountability. Let’s not forget you control the finances. The goal is not to be punitive and emotional appeals rarely work; there are better solutions that you can adopt to ensure your child does not become a statistic. Freedom 365 Virtual Recovery System™ is an effective way to interrupt the downward spiral of substance misuse. This 21^st century technology is delivered in a format already being used by your child, namely a phone, tablet or PC.

Sometimes the role is reversed, and the parent is the substance misuser. This can have a long lasting negative effect on the child.  Children of substance misusers suffer low self-esteem, depression, loneness, shame, guilt, fear of abandonment and much more. Children of alcoholics, for example, are 4 times more likely to become alcoholic than children not raised by an alcoholic.  These children never know what to expect when they come home which produces lifelong trust issues. They are often cheated out of their own childhood by having to assume roles of a parent for themselves and younger siblings. They also suffer more sexual abuse, malnourishment and mental instability than children of nonaddicted parents.

Spouses of Substance Abusers

Spouses of loved ones with a substance abuse problem usually fall into two categories: (1) spouses with substance use disorders and (2) spouses who don’t misuse mind-altering substances. When both partners are addicted, they can bring out the worst in each other.  Insanity, unmanageability, mayhem, financial ruin, and divorce can result. When one spouse is a substance misuser and the other is not, they still share many of the same relationship issues as when both are addicted.  The sober spouse of a substance misuser can become an enabler or codependent. He/she sacrifices his/her own joy and can become subservient to the addict. The spouse can lose his/her own identity and live to take care of the addict. Enabling spouses lie to bosses about sick time and poor work habits, hold two jobs to pay all the bills, lose social connections with friends for fear of letting anyone know the truth about their intolerable home life, and can even purchase drugs and alcohol for the addict.

Every Family Member is Affected by Addiction

These are just highlights of how addiction can affect the family, but you get the idea. Addiction is not limited to the addict. For example, I am an alcoholic/addict, my wife is a co-dependent, my son is an adult child of an alcoholic. Addiction is a progressive, terminal disease that can span generations.  I have lost several family members to addiction. My sister died from a heroin overdose. Her death and the death of two cousins is what pushed me to find a way to make recovery affordable for everyone. Following her death, I began by writing my first book. From that book came the Full Recovery Wellness Center, a licensed addiction treatment facility, and from the treatment center came Freedom 365™.  Seeing the suffering and recognizing the incredible need for families to find affordable recovery options, my team and I developed the Freedom 365 Virtual Recovery System™. Now everyone can receive affordable, quality care, all day, every day on their phone, tablet or PC.  Lack of health insurance, the ability to take off work, or financial distress is no longer an impediment to recovery. For less than $1 a day anyone can receive a comprehensive 28-day program along with one year of effective recovery support.

Freedom from Drug Addiction

Freedom 365™ is scientifically designed to help you alter your behavior and rewrite the software in your mind, so you don’t react to triggers. Full Recovery’s Freedom 365 Virtual Recovery System™ is the ONLY comprehensive technology solution to America’s #1 health problem – substance misuse.  Our fully automated early warning assessment screening; 28-day interactive video program; and daily relapse prevention tool is the new paradigm for cost effective, metrics-driven recovery.  Our cutting-edge Virtual Recovery System is cyber-secured ensuring user data is protected and adheres to the strict HIPAA and FERPA compliance standards, all while remaining accessible anytime, anywhere, 24/7, 365 days a year at a fraction of the cost of traditional 28-day treatment programs. Freedom 365™ promotes family unity; saves money; lowers health costs; produces measurable results; and most importantly, saves lives.

Click here to learn how Freedom 365™ works —and how it can help your loved one kick the addiction habit. Sign up for our latest news and updates here.

Brian McAlister is the President and CEO of Freedom 365 Virtual Recovery System™ and Full Recovery Wellness Center. He is Best-selling author of Full Recovery, The Recovering Person’s Guide to Unleashing Your Inner Power. Sober date: August 2, 1990.