Addiction can have a significant impact on the family ecosystem. It can be difficult to fully understand what’s going on with your loved ones or why they are acting the way they are - especially if you can see the negative consequences of their addiction.

Relationships can take a toll and those with addiction might even start withdrawing. Though this can be difficult, it’s important to be as supportive and open as possible. Family support can make a big difference in the addiction recovery process Links to an external site..

Let’s take a closer look at the impact of family support and care on addiction recovery, and what you can do to support your loved one.

What Does Family Mean?

Family is often referred to in the ‘nuclear’ sense (i.e., traditional family unit with a mum, dad, and children). Though ‘family’ can look like this, it also includes wider relatives like aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Those who are close to you or have a constant involvement in your life - such as your partner - can also be seen as ‘family’.

For those with addiction, it’s important to consider what ‘family’ looks like to them; this will enable them to make the right decisions when deciding who to bring to therapy.

Why Does Addiction Have an Impact on Family?

Addiction is classified as a disease, meaning it’s chronic and impacts an individual’s life experiences. These life experiences extend to family, with addiction often taking a significant toll on those who are close to the individual.

Family members might flit between different emotions of anger, sadness, despair, and worry, and feel hopeless and unable to help their loved one out of addiction. Addiction can also put a strain on family relationships, causing financial, legal, and emotional struggles. In extreme cases, it can even lead to violence.

Addiction can also impact family members by increasing the likelihood of them developing a substance use disorder themselves; being surrounded by addiction can increase the chance of it being ‘transmitted’. It may also be used as a coping mechanism to deal with the emotional struggles of helping someone else through addiction.

Overall, addiction can have a significant impact on a family’s mental health. Some family members might even develop a mental health disorder in response to the addiction, such as anxiety or depression, and self-care is often put on the back burner. This is why it’s so important for the family of an addicted individual to seek therapy and counseling themselves. You can’t give 110% to others if you’re not looking after yourself.

Common Family Roles

Many family members will develop specific ‘roles’ that either help them to feel in control of the situation or to deal with the emotions they are feeling. Not all of those roles are healthy and some can have a big impact on the addiction recovery process.

Let’s take a closer look at each of the roles:

The Addicted Individual

This is the individual who is suffering from substance-use addiction. Often, they are in a constant state of ‘chaos’ as they try to obtain and continue taking drugs. Their behaviors can have a significant effect on the family, and include:

• Neglecting their self-care, familial, or work responsibilities (which can lead to unemployment and poor finances)
• Continuing substance use despite the harmful side-effects
• Having cravings
• Experiencing withdrawal when they try to quit cold-turkey
• Displaying denial and outbursts of anger - sometimes directed at family

The Scapegoat

The scapegoat is often the person who is blamed by other family members for the ‘addicted individual’s’ behavior. They may create problems or distractions to turn attention away from the addicted individual and may also develop negative behaviors as a result. Though the scapegoat may be able to see the harmful consequences of taking drugs, they are the most likely to fall into addiction themselves Links to an external site..

The Caregiver/Enabler/Rescuer

The role of the caregiver is to protect the addicted individual from the harmful effects of their substance use disorder. Often, the caregiver won’t hold the addicted individual accountable for their actions, instead trying to smooth things over to avoid embarrassment or disappointment. This behavior can affect the addiction recovery process, stunting it, and making it even more difficult for the ‘addicted individual’ to move forward.

The Hero/The Savior

The hero is often the oldest child in the family and is seen as the ‘superstar’ or ‘shining star’. They do all they can to achieve well and look good in front of family and peers, in part to compensate for their dysfunctional family unit. They strive to help the addicted individual, taking on their problems, and helping the rest of the family deal with the situation. Though this can affect the addiction recovery process, it can also impact the hero’s own life. They may push their problems under the rug in order to help others, neglecting basic self-care practices.

The Mascot

The mascot often tries to mask the pain that everyone is feeling and draw attention away from the affected individual through humor and charm. In most cases, this is a coping mechanism - one which can impact their ability to form healthy relationships and deal with stressful situations in the future.

The Lost Child

The lost child is the opposite of the ‘hero’. Their achievements are often not recognized and they tend not to speak up about their emotions or how they are feeling. In short, they try to do all they can to minimize conflict. This can lead them to suppress their emotions and withdraw from other family members.

Why Is Family Support Important in Addiction Recovery?

Family support is key to the addiction recovery process and can influence the addicted individual’s chances of success. Though it can be difficult at times, showing your loved one care and support can help by:

• Decreasing the chances of hospitalization or relapse
• Increasing the chances of following through with treatment and rehab
• Increasing the chances of full recovery and sobriety

How To Show Your Loved One Support and Care During Their Addiction Recovery

There are lots of ways you can support your loved one through their addiction recovery journey. It’s all about finding a balance and choosing ways to support them that don’t put a strain on your mental or physical health.

Some ideas include:

• Getting involved in family therapy
• Helping them find treatment options and rehab clinics
• Providing details and health records to the rehab clinic
• Playing an active role in their after-care

There may be times when you feel unable to cope or feel hopeless about the situation - this is completely normal. Addiction is a disease and can affect everyone surrounding the individual, so it’s important to continue to take care of yourself and seek counseling and help if you need it.