Impact on the Family System

Historically, most of the research on addiction has focused on how it impacts the individual. However, there are far-reaching consequences for the family, especially for children who are raised in a home with people who struggle with addiction. When there is addiction in the family home, the whole family system is impacted in various ways. There are many emotional, psychological, financial, and social impacts on the whole family, making it beneficial for all family members to be part of a path to recovery (American Addiction Centers, 2023).

Looking at the impact of addiction on children, Lander et al. (2013, p. 2) stated, “The negative impacts of parental SUDs [substance use disorders] on the family include disruption of attachment, rituals, roles, routines, communication, social life, and finances. Families in which there is a parental SUD are characterized by an environment of secrecy, loss, conflict, violence or abuse, emotional chaos, role reversal, and fear.” This is a lot for children to process, and may have lifelong impacts. According to Florin and Trytek (n.d.), “the effects of substance abuse can have a negative impact on role modeling, trust, and concepts of normative behavior, which can damage the relationships between generations” (para. 6). Another common impact is the other parent may be codependent.

According to Rehabtoday (2021, para. 9), “addiction and codependency commonly go together.” PsychologyToday defined codependency as “a dysfunctional relationship dynamic where one person assumes the role of ‘the giver,’ sacrificing their own needs and well-being for the sake of the other, ‘the taker’” (n.d.). This dynamic results in enabling the addict by overcompensating for their responsibilities, denying there is a problem, making excuses for the person’s behaviour, and in some cases parentifying the children. This dynamic makes the family home life and structure even more complex, enmeshed, and without boundaries. “Often, an integral part of recovering from addiction involves changing old codependent patterns; in some cases, it may be necessary to let go of the relationship altogether” (PsychologyToday, n.d., para. 8).

This brief summary of some of the impacts of addictions on the family structure is the beginning to understanding the behaviours and unique lifelong impacts on the family members of individuals struggling with an addiction. In the next section, we will look at some of the impacts of poverty.  

References

American Addictions Centers. (2024, September 26). Family addiction: How does addiction affect families? https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/guide-for-families-i

Florin, J., & Trytek, J. (n.d.). Foundations of addictions studies. College of DuPage. https://cod.pressbooks.pub/addiction/

Lander, L., Howsare, J., & Byrne, M. (2013). The impact of substance use disorders on families and children: From theory to practice. Social work in public health, 28(3-4), 194–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/19371918.2013.759005

PsychologyToday. (n.d.). Codependency. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/codependency

Rehabtoday. (2021). Codependency and addiction explained. https://www.rehabtoday.com/codependency-and-addiction-explained/