Substance abuse disorders affect millions of Americans, and for those that are suffering from these disorders, their families can also feel the impact.
When a loved one has an addiction problem, it causes changes within families. People will react differently depending on the role that family member plays, and it’s not clear cut how you should respond.
- Your child is an addict
It’s a struggle for any parent to see their child in pain. You want to do everything in your power to make your child feel better, but you know that’s not always possible.
You may become wrapped up in fixing their issue. This could be anything from taking more time off from work to go with them to family addiction therapy or delaying retirement to help support bills.
You end up becoming more involved in your child’s life than you may normally have, which can be tough the older your child. It could reach the point where you might be enabling some of their behavior, so it’s important to find the balance between letting your child recover on their own and being the support system they need.
- Your parent is an addict
Traditionally, your parents are the ones who raise you, and seeing them in a more weakened state can take a toll.
The younger the child, the harder it is. When a younger child has to serve as a caretaker to their parent, it forces them to grow up faster than they normally would have. They end missing out on doing activities their peers might be engaging in like after school sports or hanging out at a friend’s house.
When your older and your parent forms an addiction, it’s still tough. You’re more aware of the issues your parent is facing, and you may feel whatever independence you had is compromised because your parent may be leaning on you for support.
- Your sibling is an addict
The way siblings can react when one of them has a substance abuse disorder can vary greatly depending on many factors.
You may have been close with your sibling growing up, but through their addiction, they may become far more irritable with you. You may end up growing more distant from them or shut them out. On the opposite side, if you’re relationship with your sibling was already strained, their addiction could worsen your already strained relationship.
If it’s your older sibling, your image and perception of them may significantly change. You may have seen your older sibling as someone you looked up to, and to see them suffering from addiction can shatter that image.
It’s important to realize for siblings to realize they’re both struggling. During this time, you’ll need to lean on each for support. Sure, your siblings can talk to your parents, but it helps a lot to talk to someone closer to your age.
- Your spouse is an addict
When your spouse is an addict, a heavy strain can be put on your marriage.
When addiction enters a marriage, underlying issues in the relationship may become magnified. For many couples, their spouse’s addiction can result in their marriage ending in divorce.
Each marriage is unique, and there’s no set formula on how addiction will affect your marriage compared to someone else’s, but for many couples being able to lean on your spouse helps.
There’s a reason why marriage vows include
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