Drug and alcohol addiction causes physical and psychological changes to those addicted. Addiction creates a behavioral cycle that leads the addicted person down a road of self-loathing and disconnection from their family. This destructive behavior affects the individual’s family. That’s why it’s so important for them to understand how addiction affects families.
As the addiction worsens, family members lose trust. Also, financial, employment, and medical problems develop. Continuing addiction leads to divorce or lifelong alienation between siblings, children, or parents. These issues seldom improve without professional treatment.
Effects of Addiction on Young Children
When adults with young children become addicted, children are most often affected the most. During this important time of personality development, children of addicts must often listen to fighting between the parents. This leads them to feel fearful and unable to trust. This is why addicts must learn how addiction affects families as they can change their family member’s lives forever. Children of addicts are also more likely to become addicts too.
The first step in treating drug or alcohol addiction is to go through detox. Drug and alcohol addiction change the addict’s brain chemistry and make it even harder to resist the temptation of using. A good drug rehabilitation center will help an addict to get through the initial physical detoxification process in a safe place.
Once this is done, the addict learns how to live without the drug. During this time, a learning process takes place in which the former addict develops new habits for both physical and emotional self-care. Now that he or she is clean, meaningful observations develop about the dynamics and any issues that led to addiction originally. This learning process is both challenging and rewarding.
Inpatient and Outpatient Treatment Programs
After the addict has completed detox, the challenges created by the addiction continue to play a role in the addict’s life. This is why continuing treatment is so important. There are several different types of ongoing treatment programs available to those recovering from addiction. Some programs include:
- Residential Treatment: During residential treatment, the addict will live as an inpatient in a therapeutic setting. There may be restrictions on visitors, but the addict is encouraged to interact with family members when it’s constructive.
- Outpatient Treatment: Former addicts benefit from outpatient treatment after completing detox. Group meetings such as Al-Anon or Nar-Anon encourage the addict to share his or her experiences with other addicts for support.
- Family Therapy: Former addicts also can benefit from working with professional family counselors who understand how addiction affects families. Families discuss divorce, financial issues, physical abuse, and other issues that may have broken down the family as a result of addiction.
- Individual Therapy: Individual therapy offers addicts a chance to deal with past trauma in a private, confidential setting. A professional therapist provides the addict with a chance to develop the insight, decision-making, and coping skills that they need to live a productive life. This allows those who have become sober to leave a more rewarding and healthy life.
Learn More About How Addiction Affects Families at Tampa Recovery Centers
If you or a loved one are suffering from drug or alcohol addiction and want to change your life, call to learn more about our Florida addiction programs today. At Tampa Recovery Centers, we offer you partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs that help you get through the challenges of rehabilitation and post-detox life. Call us today at 866.327.0883 and allow us to help you learn more about how addiction affects families.
