Family Addiction Research Paper

Addiction is a family disease because, 1”As written in Alcoholics Anonymous, Fourth Edition (2002), ‘the family of an alcoholic longs for the return of happiness and security, years of living with an alcoholic is almost sure to make any wife or child neurotic. The entire family is, to some extent, Ill.’ It is a separation from God that leads to all things negative. By blocking ourselves from God’s divine guidance through our active addiction, we are also blocking those around us from receiving an outward pouring of God’s love through us and into them.” Because addiction is a progressive disease that affects all aspects of one’s life, work, education, children, health, finances, spirituality, relationships, psychological well being,
those individual’s closest to the person afflicted will also be impacted to varying degrees. Part of the delusion of addiction is that the addicted individual believes they are the only one impacted because they are the only one engaged in the addictive behavior and/or most significantly impacted by any consequences or ill effects of the addictive behavior. However, the error in thinking ignores the reality of relationships with others, those related and those involved in an ancillary capacity. Just as a rock thrown in a pond causes a ripple effect that touches all shores, addiction creates the most significant disturbance in relationships closest to the addict and also impacts those in distant relationships. From this perspective addiction should be seen not just as a family disease but as a social disease, or greater still a public health issue. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2Abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs is costly to our Nation, exacting more than $700 billion annually in costs related to crime, lost work productivity and health care. This cost is paid by taxpayers, you and I, the addict and their family. Addiction is a Family Disease, a Public Health Concern.