?Effect of Substance Abuse on Families Discussion

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Yravre80

Humanities

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Effect of Substance Abuse on Families
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Effect of Substance Abuse on Families
Over the past years, there have been increased complexities in family structures among
Americans. It implies the growth of the conventional nuclear family to multi-generational, foster,
step-families, and single-parent families. Thus, if a single member begins abusing drugs, the
impact on the family could be different based on the family structure. Various studies have
indicated that substance abuse has a distinctive impact on various family structures (Barrett &
Turner, 2006). For instance, one of the parents of a small child is likely to consider compensating
for deficiencies developed by a partner that abuses substances. In most circumstances, children
with parents that abuse drugs have a high probability of starting acting as surrogate spouses.
They start developing elaborate denial systems for self-protection against parent's addiction
reality. Due to the lack of such options among single-parent households, children in this
environment have a high likelihood of behaving in a manner that is not appropriate based on
their age. The primary purpose is to develop a compensation for the parental deviancies. Aging
parents with substance use disorder are at risk of maintaining inappropriate dependent
relationships with the grown offspring. Thus, they may miss out on the most crucial stage of their
relationship. The launching phase is vital to the members of the family maturational process.
Substance abuse impacts go beyond the influence on the nuclear family. It could include
extended family by increasing abandonment feeling, embarrassment, fear, and anxiety. In some
cases, they could consider ignoring or cutting ties with the individuals abusing drugs. In worst
conditions, some of the family members may prefer seeking legal protection from the relevant
authority from the person that abuses drugs. Also, the impact on the family could affect the
extent of one generation to the other. The substance abuse intergenerational impact can adversely
affect normative behavior concepts, trust, and role modeling (Milkman & Wanderg, 2012). In the

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long run, it could negatively affect the relationship between different generations. A relevant
example is a child that grew up with parents that abused substances growing up to become a
controlling and overprotective parent that does not encourage independence and autonomy.
The influence could also spill over to colleagues, friends, and neighbors due to the level
of unreliability of a person that uses drugs. Friends may have to contribute finances for the
treatment of such individuals or provide social support. Thus, substance users may experience
increased isolation from family members and friends. In most cases, they may find themselves
relating to fellow substance users or engage in antisocial behaviors or activities (Belenko, Hiller,
& Hamilton, 2013). The primary reason for turning to other drug addicts is the support and
reinforcement of each other's behavior. There are instances when the family members may seem
healthy when interacting with other community members, yet they could be struggling with
substance abuse. It prevents them from forming a positive relationship with other people in the
community. They exhibit different characteristic interaction patterns, which are evident in
families with either parents or children that abuse illicit drugs.
First, it increases negativism as communication occurring among family members is
negative, which can take criticism and complaints, among other displeasure expressions.
Effective communication is one of the crucial social skills for the promotion of interpersonal
effectiveness (Vertino, 2014). Parents the abuse substances may find it challenging to have direct
and assertive communication with other family members. They may perceive that the majority of
the subjects are off-limits for discussion. Additionally, the children witness weak communication
convergence and an impact on deregulation with the caregivers, resulting in domestic violence.
The general household mood is downbeat, and positive be...

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