Overview
Addiction impacts the whole family. For instance, if the addicted individual lives with a spouse, they both require professional help as issues of co-dependency on the non-addicted spouse can arise. If the addicted individual lives with their spouse and children their addiction is detrimental for both the children and the spouse, especially as the spouse will end up taking the parenting role of their addicted partner. The impact on children is worse if both their parents abuse substances. If an adolescent is using drugs, then the other siblings may find their concerns not being given priority at all as their addicted sibling gets all the attention from the parents who are responding to the continuous crises of substance use. If in addiction, the parent also is using substances, it can take a physical and emotional toll on the children. Moreover, the intervention necessitates
family therapy in conjunction to treatments for the addicted individual for their recovery. The role of family therapists is to help reduce the harm – physical and psychological, on the addicted individual and their family members.