Effects of Alcohol Abuse on the Family
Alcohol abuse is a serious enough problem for the individual who has it. But the effects of alcohol abuse extend beyond the individual to the entire family, often with extremely damaging consequences.
Definition of Family
Family, in the context here, refers to a complex structure that includes the traditional nuclear family to single-parent families, stepfamilies, foster families and multigenerational families. In essence, however, anyone who provides support and financial resources, maintains the household, and with whom there is a strong and lasting emotional bond can be considered family.
Substance Abuse Is a Family Disease
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) treatment protocol for family substance abuse considers substance abuse as a family disease – because all members of the family are affected by the abuse of one or more members.
Substance abuse creates negative changes in an individual’s moods, how they behave, their relationships with other members of the family, and their physical or emotional health.
Numerous studies show that if one person in the family abuses alcohol or drugs, the remaining family members are at an increased risk of developing substance abuse problems. The most potent risk involves the parent who is a substance abuser.
How Substance Abuse Affects Different Family Members
In the family, the individual with the alcohol abuse problem becomes increasingly isolated from the rest of the family.
Alcohol abuse by one or more parents often has a detrimental effect on children in the family. The spouse of the alcoholic typically protects the children, as well as assumes the parental duties not being fulfilled by the other parent. When both parents are alcoholics, the children are more likely to suffer.
Special issues exist with blended families or stepfamilies since alcohol abuse intensifies problems and makes integration and stability difficult or impossible.
When an adolescent is the alcohol abuser in the family, other siblings may not have their needs and concerns met. Parents are so busy dealing with the alcohol- and/or drug-abusing adolescent that they ignore or minimize the needs of their other children. Many families where an adolescent abuses alcohol also have at least one parent who is also either an alcoholic or abuses alcohol and other substances. This can lead to a very dangerous combination of physical and emotional problems.
Even among older adults who abuse alcohol and have grown children, the entire family is affected.
Extended family members who know about and witness the substance abuse can experience feelings of concern, anger, anxiety, abandonment, embarrassment and guilt. They may also choose to cut off or ignore the person abusing alcohol – to the further detriment of the family.
Problems That Occur in Family Substance Abuse
Not every family with a member who abuses alcohol or other substances has the following problems, but the likelihood and potential exist for any or all of them. Such problems include:
• Potential for domestic violence increases – The alcohol abuser cannot control his or her emotions, and behavior may easily escalate into violence, often involving children.
• Child abuse or neglect – When one or both parents abuse alcohol, the potential for child abuse or neglect dramatically increases. Even if there is no physical abuse, the children may suffer malnutrition or not have their needs met due to the incapacity of the alcoholic parents to function normally.
• Loss of job due to extended absenses, decreased productivity, poor performance. With no income coming in from the major financial provider, the family suffers. Even if the substance abuser is a non-working spouse or child, there are often serious repercussions within the family.
• Alcohol use among children – Seeing one or more parents abusing alcohol, or another member of the family, may result in other children beginning to experiment with and subsequently abuse alcohol.
• Criminal activity – Arrests for misdemeanors or felonies can further jeopardize the safety and stability of the family of alcohol abusers. DUIs, manslaughter, felonious assault, burglary and other crimes are frequently a consequence of alcohol abuse.
• Strained relationships – Increasingly isolated, the alcohol abuser distances himself from others in the family, including spouse and children. Often, the substance abuser will not permit other family members to have friends, or limits contact by any means.
• Arguments increase – An escalation in the number and intensity of arguments occurs between the substance abuser and spouse and other family members. This often leads to domestic violence.
• Interaction with medication – Taking any medication can cause negative effects, as alcohol negatively interacts with more than 150 medications. These include common instances of a person taking antihistamines for a cold or allergy, or the pain reliever acetaminophen, who also drinks alcohol.
• Pregnant women – Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive should not drink alcohol, since alcohol can cause a numbr of birth defects. The most serious potential birth defect is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Children born with alcohol-related birth defects may have behavior and learning problems that last their entire lives. FAS children have physical abnormalities, behavior problems and mental impairment.
Long-Term Health Problems in Alcoholics
Abuse of alcohol can seriously jeopardize the health of the individual – with resulting catastrophic financial and emotional costs to the rest of the family.
• Alcohol-related liver disorders – More than 2 million Americans suffer from liver diseases caused by alcoholism. These include cirrhosis of the liver, which cannot be cured, but can be arrested if the alcoholic stops drinking.
• Heart disease – The greatest risk is among men over the age of 45 and women who are post-menopause. Alcohol abuse also increases the risks for high blood pressure, heart disease and some types of stroke.
• Cancer – Certain forms of cancer are associated with alcoholism, especially cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box and esophagus. Women have an increased risk of breat cancer. All alcoholics have an increased risk of cancer of the colon and rectum.
• Pancreatitis – Inflammation of the pancreas is a condition associated with severe abdominal pain and weight loss, and can prove fatal.
What Can Be Done?
Families with substance abuse need treatment by professionals trained to deal with family substance ause. The issues are complex, and must involve the entire family. Not only does the individual with the substance abuse problem required treatment, but other family members also need help so that the ultimate goal of achieving and maintaining abstinence is realized. Such family treatment also provides a neutral forum where families can meet and solve their problems.
Issues that surface during treatment – and which must be dealt with – include those of blame, responsibility and statements such as “Who caused this to happen?” Alcohol abuse or dependence doesn’t begin in a vacuum. But families often tend to blame an individual for causing it, even if it isn’t the person with the alcohol abuse problem. Blame doesn’t solve anything and must be dealt with before family treatment can progress.
How To Find Treatment
For help finding treatment or to obtain information, contact Al-Anon Family Group Services at (888) 4AL-ANON or visit http://www.al-anon.alateen.org. This organization provides referrals to local Al-Anon groups, support groups for spouses and significant adults in an alcoholic’s life. They also make referrals to Alateen groups, which offer support to children of alcoholics. To request information that can be mailed to you, contact (800) 714-7498.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), (2312) 870-3400 or http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org provides referrals to local AA groups and information materials on the AA program. You can also check for local AA offices in your phone book or on the Internet.
The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), (800) NCA-CALL, can provide phone numbers of local NCADD affiliates where you will be able to obtain information on local treatment resources and educational materials on alcoholism. Their website is http://www.ncadd.org.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, (301) 443-3860, http://www.niaaa.nih.gov, offers free publications on all aspects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism.
