Family Dynamics in Addiction: Understanding the Effects of Substance Use on the Family Ecosystem

If you or a relative are involved in substance use, you are among tens of millions of Americans fighting the battle. Close to 38 million adolescents and adults are active users of illicit drugs, and 29.5 million people 12 and over suffer from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). With so many people throughout the U.S. impacted by substance use, there is no reason to feel isolated or embarrassed if your family is affected as well.

This article examines the family dynamics in addiction, offering insights into how addiction affects family members. It also provides information to help you recognize typical family roles in addiction and lays out resources and suggestions to help each member begin their journey toward recovery.

How Does Addiction Affect the Family?

Families are made up of individuals who take on specific roles. For instance, most experts agree that a healthy family is one in which all members feel safe and secure and each person’s needs are met appropriately. Parents model appropriate behaviors so their children can follow suit.

Because addiction is a family disease, substance use by one family member can wreak havoc on the entire family ecosystem. A person’s active substance use often disrupts family roles and relationships, interferes with interpersonal communications, and has a profound emotional and psychological impact on everyone close to the person — especially spouses and partners, parents, and children.

Family Roles in Addiction

The family roles in addiction can play a part in — and inadvertently support —  this person’s behaviors. Understanding what those roles are and what behaviors each possess can mitigate risks of unintended enablement, which is vital to support their recovery and your own.

The typical family roles in addiction are the addict, the enabler, the scapegoat, the lost child, the hero, and the mascot.

• The addict is the center of the universe in a family experiencing addiction. Each member takes on their role in reaction to the behavior of the person experiencing substance abuse.
• Enablers support the addict’s behaviors by giving them the means to continue their addiction. They may help them financially so they can buy drugs or bail them out of jail when they are arrested for DUI or drug possession. There may be several enablers in a family.
• Scapegoats are blamed for the family’s problems, and this also includes the addict’s problems. Often scapegoats don’t perform up to family expectations — they may be failing at school or work — so they take the focus off of the addict’s behavior.
• Lost children distance themselves from the conflicts that arise in a family experiencing addiction. They try to stay under the family’s radar, remaining unassertive and socially isolated.
• Heroes, like enablers, take on responsibility for the addict’s behavior by championing their cause. Heroes defend the addict’s unacceptable behaviors, offering excuses and explanations on their behalf.
• Mascots are the family’s deniers. They downplay the family dynamics and try to distance themselves from the fray, often using humor to try to diffuse difficult situations.

Emotional and Psychological Impact on Family Members

The family roles in addiction don’t necessarily remain static. Some members can toggle between roles depending on what is going on in the family unit at any given time. Often, family members experience heightened levels of anxiety, fear, and stress. Some may use coping mechanisms like emotional distancing and isolation. And often, the youngest family members experience long-lasting effects of family trauma brought on by substance use.

Effects on Children and Adolescents

Children and teens are the most vulnerable in the family unit. As such, they are at high risk for developing emotional, social, and behavioral adjustment problems as a result of being raised in an environment where a parent or other caregiving family member is active in substance use. Children growing up in this kind of environment may be more likely to experience cognitive and academic challenges.

There is also evidence that children who grow up in a household with substance use are twice as likely to become involved in substance use themselves. These children also experience faster acceleration in substance use patterns and may end up with higher rates of alcohol and drug use disorders.

Seeking Help and Recovery

Even if your loved ones have been impacted by your own or another family member’s addiction, there is every reason for hope. Families can and do heal. However, the key to beginning the healing journey is acknowledging that there is a problem so you can find appropriate help.

A good place to start the recovery journey is to seek support from peers and professionals. In-person and online support groups, professional counseling, and holistic therapy are all options that can lead to overcoming addiction and its impact on family members.

How Retreat Behavioral Health Offers Hope and Help

The compassionate healers at Retreat Behavioral Health are experts at bringing the whole family into the process of recovery. We offer the resources needed to support your family’s healing through our world-class substance abuse and mental health inpatient and outpatient services and treatment. To learn more about how to help your family reclaim its equilibrium and rebuild healthy relationships, call (855) 859-8808 or contact us online.