Alcohol and Drugs Effects on Your Family

Drugs and alcohol can not only impact your health but these can have serious implications for your family members. We often hear stories about men physically abused their wives under the effect of intoxication, or how a family got into debts because of drug abuse. A family is built around certain values but alcohol and drugs cripple us mentally and we end up displaying erratic and irresponsible behavior.

family is not merely a group of people who live and eat together. A family is essentially about love, support, respect and caring. All of these are factors that contribute in making an ideal family. Developing an ideal family takes some amount of compromise and sacrifice. However, drugs and alcohol impact our judgment and reasoning, and prevent us from thinking rationally. This causes a lack of communication in the family and erodes the very existence on which it is built. Lack of communication with your partner and children can make them feel alone and depressed. Your children may have a traumatic childhood and this can have long-term effects on their lives. Under the influence of drugs or alcohol a person may get into unnecessary arguments and physical abuse with his partner, which can seriously dent the relationship.

The dependence on drugs and alcohol may eat up your finances. Instead of taking care of the more important issues in your life, like your child's education, savings, etc. you may waste all your money on alcohol and drugs. Apart from this, it is highly likely that alcohol and drugs will interfere with your efficiency at work, and cause you to lose your job. This puts pressure on the other members to earn to sustain the family. Besides, abusers often steal money in order to satisfy their craving, and this can cause a rift in the family. Abusers are likely to suffer from various health ailments, and the money spent on treatment and hospitalization can have a huge economic impact on your family.

These were some effects of drugs and alcohol on family life. Fortunately, there are various state-sponsored community centers where abusers are rehabilitated. It is important that possible signs and symptoms are detected early on so that an abuser does not fall into a downward spiral. It is important that you remain patient during the rehabilitation program as there is no magic cure for treating alcoholism and drug abuse. It certainly will take time, so it is the responsibility of the family members that they act as a support system and help their loved ones to recover. Drugs and alcohol can spoil your family life, but it is never too late to make a comeback.

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