Addiction as a Family Disease
The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) defines addiction as, “A treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences.”
According to the ASAM, people who struggle with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.
These harmful consequences are wide-reaching, involving physical, emotional, relational, financial, and legal implications. While this is true of any type of addiction, whether gambling, internet, sexual addiction, video games, etc., for the purpose of this post we’ll focus on substance abuse.
Addiction can be extremely debilitating, and even life-threatening, for the individual struggling with addiction. Yet, when addiction is present, the individual is not the only one suffering. Family members often suffer just as much, or more, with the devastating impact of this disease of addiction, regardless of whether they have ever used alcohol or drugs.
This makes sense when we consider the family as a system in which each part (or subsystem) of the family is impacted when another part experiences a shift, positive or negative.
A family system is sometimes compared to a mobile that hangs over an infant’s crib. When the mobile is still, each part is in balance, however, when any one of the parts is touched or pulled, they all move. If pulled too hard, the part could break off or become tangled with the others, and as a result, the mobile as a whole is impacted. This is what happens in a family when one (or more) members struggle with addiction to drugs or alcohol.
There are many ways that addiction can be considered a family disease, beginning with genetic and environmental influences. While there remains a great deal of debate surrounding this topic, family studies completed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) suggest that as much as half of a person’s risk of becoming addicted to nicotine, alcohol, or other drugs depends on his or her genetic make-up.” These same NIDA studies also indicate the importance of the environment and the result of interactions between genes and the environment.
This is relevant, important research to consider, however, there are many other ways that addiction can be described as a family disease and we will discuss these in greater detail, along with providing some helpful resources for all impacted family members, in Part 2 of Addiction as a Family Disease.
If you are struggling with addiction to alcohol or drugs, whether directly or as a family member, please reach out. We’re here to offer help and support. To talk to someone, request an appointment today.
This blog post was written by Anna Gould.
Disclaimer: This blog is not intended to substitute professional therapeutic advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your health concerns and before starting or stopping therapies. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct professional advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
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