How Having a Family Member as an Addict Affects their Family and Friends

As time moves forward, cultures and societies continue to change. The very basic values of individuals have made a drastic turn. One of the most alarming differences is the drug use in America. It is no longer an issue of several street drugs that is to blame for majority of the destruction in individual lives. In this day and age, simple cough medicine is being abused by a young generation. Along with hard street drugs, like cocaine, there are over-the-counter prescriptions being sold to any and every one in the streets. With the increase in illegal drugs, comes the increase in illegal drug usage. This causes majority of the people in the country to know of someone that has a family member that is a drug addict.

It was once considered taboo, but now it is as if people have begun to embrace a drug addiction. As oddly as it may seem for some, there are a number of people that not only accept a “loved one’s” drug addiction, but they also support it. Some individuals go as far as making the necessary purchase to support their family member’s habit. Drug Tests in Bulk, a provider of drug and alcohol testing products, reports that there has been a consistent yearly increase in the amount of drug tests ordered for home use. With this family dilemma, a lot of problems can stem from having an addict within your family circle.

Sharing an addiction
The biggest problem is having an addict turn their family member into an addict. Majority of the people that use drugs got that their start through peer pressure. It could have been that majority of their friends were using drugs. Or even worse, a close family member offered them the drug. From the outside looking in, some people may be led to believe that the drug use is actually fun. They sit a witness the transition of someone close to them and take it as being something fun to do. At the same time, the drug is offered and they accept. Instantly, the problem has spread. Now, the family has two addicts that they have to struggle with trying to help. Now, innocent lives are loss because of an addict recklessly sharing in their addiction.

An unhealthy relationship
Knowing that someone close to you is a drug addict can create an emotional strain. Initially, you want nothing to do with the person. But depending on how close you are to the person, it may be almost impossible to cut ties with them. The drug addict could be a sibling or even worse, a parent/guardian. In this situation, you begin to make yourself feel guilty. Although you many not want to deal with them, you would hate yourself if you tried. This generates a lot of emotional baggage, which could eventually lead to you using drugs to cope with the pain. The emotional strain will spread beyond just the relationship between the two. Other family members will indirectly feel the hurt and problems.

Legal Issues

Regardless of the situation or what addiction your love one may have, they still have a place in your heart. And, this means you are willing to do almost anything for them; even if it means putting your life on the line. As aforementioned, there are a lot of family members that embrace their love one’s addiction. Not everyone will go out and purchase illegal drugs for a family member, but they may still allow that person to use the drugs around them. Both scenarios can lead to a long line of illegal problems.

Everyone knows about the risks of purchasing drugs. Whether the drug will be used by you or someone else, the point is that you made the purchase. Telling a judge that the drugs were not for you doesn’t lessen your jail time or penalty. This is a scenario that has broken so many family homes. Sometimes, the situation involved a husband and his wife, or a boyfriend and girlfriend. The significant other was asked to make a transaction. Normally, it is because the addict is already in hot water and feel nothing will happen to their significant other because it is their first time. In an instant, everyone’s life has changed. You may have people going to prison, while others will be without someone that is close to them.

You can have the same scenario happen, just because you were in the same vicinity as the person using the drugs. Another situation could involve the drug addict being watched for a period of time and the law has made their move to bust them with the drugs. At the same time, you are paying your relative a visit at their home. So even though you had nothing to do with the drugs and you never even touched the drugs, you are going down with them.

This is why a drug addiction is not bringing harm to just one person. If you have family, then there is definitely someone that you have unconditional love for. That’s why it is important to prevent future problems, by addressing someone’s addiction from the beginning and attempting to get them help.