To be honest, discussing this topic is not enjoyable. But the reason it’s important to talk about is because it makes you feel bad. Most of the time, when you hear about drug addiction, it’s used to shame the addict. For being addicted to a vice, people like to make fun of addicts.
But that’s not the right way to look at things. It’s not just one person who has a problem with drug addiction. It is a problem that can result from bad situations, and it can affect more than just the addict.
In addition to having an impact on the addict themselves, drug addiction also has an impact on the friends, family, and loved ones of the addict. However, it will impact them differently, and knowing those differences is important for both people inside and outside the situation.
Let’s talk about how a drug addict hurts a family.
Drug Addiction Makes People Unreliable
People in this family will often notice this first when one of their own has a problem with drugs. People can start using drugs for fun or to treat their own worry or sadness. Still, as their use grows, they will stop being helpful and start being a problem.
Their first issue will be making it hard to sleep, eat, and be productive. People will forget about their bills, meetings, and holidays. The addict will change as their growing need to use their vice increases.
The addict will spend less and less time with their family, who loves them. It can feel like the addict is putting their vice before their family, which is a painful experience.
Drug Addiction Makes People Irritable
This is the side effect of drugs that most people know about. Why?
In any case, it’s the easiest to make dramatic on TV. It is not as common as you might think, though. If you’re not looking for it, you might not even realize that your loved one is an addict.
You will notice it when it comes up, though. This irritability won’t just happen. As the addict gets farther away from their last use of their vice, it will happen. And it will stand out even more when there are things that make it hard to use that vice.
It is important to remember, though, that irritability typically occurs before the person realizes they have a problem. An addict can usually recognize that their bad mood is a sign of their addiction rather than a real problem once they have admitted it to themselves.
Addiction can Make People Abusive
Let’s be careful now before we go any further. It’s essential that we understand what we’re saying. We’re implying that addiction can make people abusive. What does that mean, though? Although not everyone who is addicted to the same drug will be abusive, some will.
This implies that drug addiction is associated with uncontrollable urges and, as previously mentioned, irritability. Additionally, irritability mixed with poor impulse control means a higher risk of physical violence. But that’s still not enough to describe what’s going on here.
Alcohol and drug problems do not just develop in people. According to statistics, they are more common in areas with lower levels of access to healthcare, clean living places, and other resources.
Growing up in those kinds of circumstances does not make a person abusive. But, like drugs and alcohol, it makes a person more likely to develop the mental problems that do make an abusive drug.
It is too easy to say all addicts are bullies, so understanding this is crucial. That’s not true, and that’s not the message we want to convey.
Abuse can happen for many reasons that lead to the attacker making bad decisions. It’s possible to be addicted or not be able to recognize it. We don’t want to say that addicts are doomed to be abusers, but we also can’t ignore the fact that addiction makes abuse more likely.
Drugs Drain Family Resources
Particularly, the opioid epidemic has severely impacted many families. Why? To avoid it, some people have turned to heroin and fentanyl instead.
A lot of drugs like these cost a lot of money. The needs accumulate gradually, perhaps not simultaneously. They’re not just expensive to buy. They also require time to improve. Ultimately, the individual dedicates all their time to learning and improving.
This can make a family bad. It gets tougher to pay rent and bills. It’s almost impossible to take care of kids. Because of how addiction works, a person will even put getting a fix ahead of eating. Even though this is the worst thing that could happen, it is also more common than you might think.
As a result, an addict can’t handle their money, which can make things impossible for their family. The worst situation occurs when the addict also contributes significantly to the family’s income. It is easy for them to become abusive if they have control over the family’s finances.
Conclusion
A lot of people have said bad things about addicts, so let’s make one thing clear: addicts are people who need help. What we want to point out is that they can also be harmful, which is a problem. In some cases, this can make things impossible for their family.
This piece of advice is tough to take: helping an addict must come after minimizing the harm they cause if they do not recognize their addiction or harmful behavior. That means leaving them sometimes. Do not let anyone hold you hostage.
Visit Ocean Recovery’s website if you want to learn how to handle a person like that.
