Accordingly, the goal of rehabilitation is to increase one’s willpower in order to resist the evil temptation of substances” (Journal of Substances Abuse Treatment, pag 146). In the case of Karissa I feel like the stepfather was the only one who was pushing for punishment and responsibility on behalf of Karissa, the stepfather was focusing on a Moral Model. The question that I asked about this model is, are the addicts self-sufficient to control their maladaptive behavior? I raised the question, because the longer the addicted used, the less self-control and self-power the abuser will become. Addicts do not have willpower, which is one of the biggest disadvantages about this model. The biggest advantage is the strategies for change include both a positive reliance on God through religious counseling and a negative avoidance of punishment through criminal…
When children are born and raised in a family with one or more addicts as parents, they often revert to certain family survival roles, as explained by Sharon Wegscheider-Cruse. The child molds themselves into a certain role in an effort to survive the dysfunctional family, and attempt to steer attention from the addiction to other areas in their lives. One of the addict family system survival roles that Wegscheider-Cruse writes and teaches about is the child’s role of being the “family hero”. In this paper I will dig deeper into what it means for a child to be the “family hero” and how holding this position within their family may affect them later in life.…
Gruber, K.J., & Taylor M.F. (2006). A family perspective for substance abuse: Implications from the literature. Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, 6(1/2), 6.…
Growing up with an alcoholic can drastically affect a child’s life. One in five Americans has lived with an alcoholic relative while growing up (“Children of Alcoholics”). I am one of those five. Yes, my father was an alcoholic while I was growing up. It is a touchy subject for me, but it is safe to say growing up with an alcoholic dad was very difficult for my family. After an emotional separation, my father realized what his life had become, and he worked to overcome his alcoholism. Many of these efforts to recover died out quickly, and my dad had to jump from organization to organization until he finally recovered through Help Incorporation. Whenever I ask my dad about why it was so…
Substance abuse related issues can be treated effectively with a family-based treatment. (Gladding, 2015). According to Gladding (2015), some of the most effective approaches in treating substance-related disorders in families are structural-strategic, Bowen, behavioral, Adlerian and multifamily therapy. The behavior of substance abusers or dependents of substance might have difference interacting with others, whom they come in contact with (Gladding, 2015). Substance abuse effects the entire family. The parent who grown up in a substance abuse home might find it challenging to have a long-lasting and intimate relationship (Gladding, 2015). Whereas, the child who lives in in setting with a substance abuse are more likely to develop social and…
Addiction is an issue that many families find themselves struggling with. The film, Addiction: The family in crisis, discusses many of the issues surrounding addiction and alcoholism in the family. Addiction was described in the film as a “family disease”, meaning not only does addiction and alcoholism effect everyone in the family, everyone also has a role to play in the family dynamics which may perpetuate the behavior of the alcoholic. The most notable position prolonging the addict’s behavior is the person who takes the role of the enabler. This person will keep the alcoholic from seeking help by assisting or supporting them in their habit. The enabler can be a wife, a mother, or a friend, but it is usually someone who cares very much for…
All my siblings began to create their own little families and it was just my parents and I. Over the years, my father became an alcoholic. He has never stopped drinking, even until now in present day. He has made me doubt myself in various ways and has always told me I would not make it anywhere in life; I always thought otherwise, though. His words made me want to work harder, and even though it hurts not to have a father figure, I’m glad I don’t because it made me become independent. Until this day, I have not talked to my father, but some day I hope to thank him, even though he does not deserve it. It has just been my mother and I ever since. Though sometimes, I see her struggling, I try my best to do everything I can as a student and as a daughter to make her proud because that’s the only person I…
It is important to remember that it is not the make-up of the family unit that is the most important part of a family the most important part is that the family unit is safe, happy, and free of negative social influences (Shaw, 2014). If children in the family unit see family violence, drug use, or other negative social behaviors at a young age, then the children may be influenced at a young age to take part in these actions. If the child has seen drug use by members of his family unit at an early age the child is not shown that this action is wrong and without the knowledge of such wrong then the child has not caused or choice in this action if they use drugs themselves (Shaw, 2014). We also see the same link between genes that are passed from parent to child that could be some un-stabilizing force in a person that to have a lack of control or addiction to drugs and alcohol (Shaw, 2014). This type of treat that is passed from parent to child leaves the child having to fight off the chemical addiction that they will face for the rest of their…
Most people have a reasonable idea what addiction does to the individual who is abusing substances. The issues have been played out in movies and for some people, in real life many times. What most people seem to underestimate is the profound effect addiction has on the family as a whole and some family members in particular. A good family therapy for addiction treatment program is a great way to address family problems created by addiction.…
When Julia moved to Virginia three years ago, we immediately became best friends, and she eventually explained the reason for her move. Her mother was an alcoholic and was progressively becoming worse. She knew her mother was unfit to make healthy parental decisions, so she moved in with her father. It was not very long after Julia’s move that I met her mother. Despite what I knew about her, we instantly connected because she was a lot like my own mother; the only difference was that mine did not have a drinking problem.…
This impact on family members sorely relies upon the different roles and responsibilities, for example: the parents of the drug abuser suffer more impact than the rest of the family members (Banard 2006). It affects them in several various ways such as: physical illnesses, education and employment and psychological illnesses. There is a strong possibility that family members experience negative emotions such as anger, shame, confusion, hurt and despair due to lack of knowledge of how to get help or lack of intervention or support from services (Templeton et al 2006). Children or siblings who undertake a caring role can face a risk of loosing their childhood, which can have a negative impact on schoolwork, health, conduct and friendships (Velleman and Templeton 2007). The provision and of services to meet the needs of family members and their involvement in the care of drug users, results in the enhancement and effectiveness of services and drug treatment and plummeting abuse (Velleman and Templeton 2007). It is imperative that services which are designated to offer expert help to family members and carers of drug users implement methods to amplify motivation and resilience because there is a tendency of loosing hope in the process (Templeton 2007). According to Banard (2006), family members play a vital role in influencing people with substance misuse problems to seek or accept help from services. Stanton and Heath (2005), believes that most partners of drug abusers experience physical violence, manipulation, pressure to release money to fund drugs and lying. Family members adults and children equally experience inevitable risks of developing numerous chronic problems such as substance misuse in their own right, physical sicknesses, involvement in arrangement of anti-social behaviours…
Growing up in an alcoholic family is certainly traumatic. In these homes, children experience a daily environment of inconsistency, chaos, fear, abandonment, denial, and real or potential violence. Survival becomes a full-time job. While most of us know that alcoholism is a disease, too few recognize it as a family disease, which may emotionally, spiritually and often physically, affect, not only the alcoholic but each member of the family. Little emotional energy remains to consistently fulfill the many needs of children who become victims of the family illness. For many years, professional psychologists were barely aware of the vast pool of suffering of the family of alcoholics. They concentrated on healing the alcoholic and felt that it solved the problems of the family as well. Today they realize that the whole family suffers this sickness and all must be made well. By looking at what it is like to live in a alcoholic's home, the side effects, and how to cope with the problem there will be evidence to see how the disease negatively affects the children.…
That moment marked a huge transition in my life. It has been about 5 or 6 years since that fateful day, and I can personally say that having a parent that struggles with drug addiction is one of the most taxing experiences anyone can live through. It not only changes the relationship you have with that parent, but it also changes your perspective of the world.…
Parental substance abuse and the welfare of children have become a growing epidemic in society today. Thousands of families are facing struggles with addiction which can lead to the interruption of cognitive development and mental growth of their young children. It has been found that “more than 8.3 million children younger than 18 years (11.9%) lived with at least one parent who was dependent on or abused alcohol or an illicit drug during the past year”(Arria, Mericle, Meyers & Winter, 2012, p. 114). Many parents who struggle with substance abuse may not be able to care for their own lives, therefore, how do they care for the safety and well-being of their children? According to Ammerman, Kirisci, Blackson, & Dawes (1999), “abused and neglected children are at increased risk for depression, conduct disorder, academic underachievement, cognitive impairment, and interpersonal dysfunction” (p.1226). Many children have become victims of their parent’s substance abuse and are the vulnerable groups that are truly suffering for their parents’ mistakes. According to another study, children who are exposed to parental substance abuse are more likely to have poor emotional coping skills, lack of social interaction skills with peers, higher rates of various mental health diagnoses, and future substance abuse issues (Simmons, Havens, Whiting, Holz & Bada, 2009). As a society, how are we overlooking suffering children that need further attention and not just trying to mask the issue with a band aid? The problem is a lack of collaborative care for substance abusing parents which results in mental health problems for children. Unfortunately, parental substance abuse continues to increase resulting in many children being taken into custody and placed in foster care.…
My parents ended up getting off on parole, and a year later my brother was born. He was transferred to the home that I was in because the judge still did not think my mother was deemed fit to raise him. A few years passed, and my mother was getting better and started to pass all of her drug tests, so the judge allowed us to go back home with her. Everything was well, until my mother relapsed. I ended up taking care of a two-and-a-half year old baby. I was only ten at the time. It was a lot of responsibility. I had to feed him, and change him, and I had to potty train him. My mother's parole officer made an anonymous visit one day and decided to show up to our apartment to see my mother… as you could've guessed she wasn't in the best state to see her parole officer at that time. Once again my brother and I were placed in a home that we lived in for a while. My uncle, whom that I currently live with, decided to let us live with him. The moral of this essay is that even though I seem like everyone else, I have learned to take on a lot of responsibility as a child to help me get to where I am…