Substance Abuse and Its Affect on Relationships
It is commonly believed that substance abuse only impacts the person struggling with addiction. However, addiction has an unfortunate way of impacting many more lives than those who struggle with abuse.
Parents, children, spouses/partners, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, and even coworkers can be impacted by substance abuse. Addiction is a disease, and those who struggle with it can unintentionally damage or affect the relationships they have in their life.
As the addiction grasps its hold on their life, it's not uncommon for the damage to trickle into the relationships this person holds. Here is how substance abuse impacts relationships of all kinds.
Addiction and The Affect It Has on Relationships
Loss of Trust
As addiction takes over, the person with an addiction will do anything they can to keep using. Whether that be access to alcohol or drugs, consumption can begin to overtake everything in their life.
It's common for those who struggle with substance abuse to run out of money quickly. At times, they may struggle to even pay their bills because their funds may go towards purchasing their substance(s) of choice. As such, they will often turn to family or friends and ask for financial support. A caveat to that is that they won't admit the real reasons why they are struggling with money.
Once the people who financially support them find out, they may feel a lot of disbelief, shock, and loss of trust in this person for lying to them. They might lie about what they are spending their money on, why they are short on money that month, or any number of things.
More Arguments
Substances of any kind alter the brain in both the long and short term. While it isn't always the case by any means, certain substances predispose someone to becoming more violent or physically harmful towards other people. At the very least, it can increase arguments in a person's relationship.
They may argue about the substance abuse directly or things that may impact the addiction, such as shared household responsibilities, raising families, or going to work. It's also normal for those who are addicted to say things they don't mean or realize they said if they recently used before the interaction.
Emotional Connections Wane
Substance abuse leaves little to no room for true emotional connection with other people. Whether that is with a partner, child, parent, or anyone else, the mind of the person with an addiction is hyperfocused on when they can use it again. They may lose interest in caring for the emotional well-being of other people. Not because they don't care anymore but because their addiction is the main focus of their life.
How To Deal With Addiction
First, if you are reading this as someone who is struggling with addiction, please know there is hope. You should not feel shame or guilt for struggling with addiction. People, despite what many will say, do not choose to become addicted. Some people are genetically predisposed to addiction, while other's life circumstances bring them to that place.
Likewise, if you are a family member or partner of someone who is struggling with addiction, you should know there is hope for your relationship and this person, as well. Addiction is a nasty disease that impacts so many people, not just the life of the person with an addiction.
At Milford Counseling, our roots began with helping those who struggle with addiction. We understand that addiction is a complex disorder that impacts every area of a person's life, as well as their mental health. You or your loved one deserve to start the path of recovery or continue down it. If you want to learn more about substance abuse treatment, don't hesitate to reach out to learn more.
