The Impact of Substance Abuse and Who It Affects

Addiction is vicious. It upends almost every single person in the addict’s life. You read that right: substance abuse impacts more than just the person struggling with addiction.

When someone struggles with addiction, it impacts their finances, work, friendships, relationships, and mental and physical health. It also affects all of these areas for other people as well. Let’s dive in to explore the impact of addiction and who it can impact.

Family Roles

Families, by far, are impacted the most by substance abuse. To maintain a sense of normalcy, family members will often take on specific roles to create this false sense of “everything is fine.”

The Addict

This is the central person who everyone else’s lives end up revolving around. People addicted to a substance or alcohol may isolate themselves from everyone else in the family. They often lie and try to manipulate their family members to find a way to access their substance whenever needed. As the addiction spirals out of control, it causes a massive strain on their relationships with family members.

The Enabler

The role of this person is one of denial. They enable the addict by insisting that the usage is temporary. They will ignore the problem and even help the addict financially when asked. How do you know if you’re the enabler? Do you prevent “The Addict” from ever feeling the full consequences of their actions? Why would “The Addict” need to change if the enabler continues to bail them out, save them, or help them where they don’t feel a significant enough consequence? Think about it. The Addiction loves the status quo,

The Comedian

The role of this person is to provide comedic relief to the family. When the addict begins to cause issues, this person will try to create a distraction to relieve the tension and stress that is being caused.

The “Perfect” One

Watching a family member struggle with an addiction is hard. This person often feels pressure always to be perfect and not to cause further stress on the family. So, they try their hardest to be perfect, not get in the way, and be high-achieving. It gives them a sense of control when other aspects of their family life may feel out of control. Being high-achieving is not an issue. However, the standards this role sets for themselves leads them to develop mental health concerns such as anxiety or depression, potentially obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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It’s important to remember that multiple people may take on each role. And keep in mind that these roles can also be played by non-family members such as close friends.

The Impact Of Addiction

Financial Impact

This is one of the most significant areas that affect the addict and the people in their lives. At the beginning of the addiction, any extra money the person has will go towards purchasing substances or alcohol. As the addiction progresses, money for necessities and bills is spent to enable the addiction.

In turn, this will impact other people. Most often, the person(s) in the role of the enabler will cave and provide financial support. For most families, the financial losses they experience from addiction can be devastating.

Loss of Trust

Generally speaking, an addict is not known for keeping their word or promises. Ultimately, this only breaks the family or friends’ trust in the addict. It isn’t as if the addict intentionally breaks their promises — it’s just that their addiction comes first in their life.

Relationship Strains

Along with the loss of trust, addiction also impacts other areas of the relationship. The insurmountable tension and stress often lead families to fight with one another and the addict. Whereas before, they may have all been close-knit, the family bonds will often unravel. Isolation and shame create the strain to strengthen.

How To Cope With Addiction As A Family

Addiction is a family disease. Not only can it carry from generation to generation, but it also impacts the current generation. Addiction is one of the most complex disorders that someone can go through. While it is a challenging and never-ending process, recovery from addiction is possible.

If you or a family member is struggling with substance abuse, we encourage YOU to reach out for therapy support. Addiction counseling can help everyone involved.