How Your Addiction Can Drive Your Loved Ones Away From You
How Your Addiction Can Drive Your Loved Ones Away From You
Introduction
When a person initiates the abuse caused by alcoholism and drugs upon his body, he rarely stops to consider the long-term implications of substance abuse. Of course, the activities also take a toll on the abuser’s body and mind. However, there is more to the story than just this. Fast forwards to three to four decades later, the abuser might still be an addict. However, at this time, he also a family. And his intoxication activities often seep into the lives of his families.
Illnesses like Any Other
Before we understand the effects that an addict has on his family, particularly his grandchildren, we need to understand that addiction is an illness like any other. And just like other illnesses, it also impacts the people who are close to the sick person. And the closer the family, the effects of this illness become more pronounced upon the family. In fact, this effect of this abuse even go on to affect the grandchildren of the abuser.
Driving a Wedge in The Family
In a majority of cases, addict grandparents are witnessed to mistreat their grandchildren daily. This unequivocally drives a wedge between the entire family. And, in fact, the children who tend to love their grandparents tend to get repulsed by their mere sight. They stop trusting their grandparents at all. This wedge is driven so deep that it divides the complete family. And not only does this have a detrimental effect on the grandchildren, but it also majorly affects the grandparent’s social status.
Taking All The Blame Upon Themselves
Children do not react only to the mistreatment from addict grandparents. The presence of other addicts elders, such as parents, close relatives, family friends, etc., could also affect the children psychologically. In fact, the affected children blame themselves for the cause of all problems in the family. As a result, they feel hard-pressed to match the expectations set out by their elders. But if they still keep on receiving taunts for the smallest faults, they inadvertently isolate themselves from such elders.
The Social Effects
It doesn’t long for the other members of a society to become aware of an addict. In certain cases, even the other children of society become aware of this. They start to incessantly tease and taunt the poor child for this. However, they are, but, mere children. They do so, unbeknownst of the emotional distraught occurring between the addict elders and their kin. Resulting, the children become quite withdrawn and defensive, preventing them from developing an interpersonal bond with the said family member.
Conclusion
It is a well-known fact that children from all over the world elevate the mood of their family. There isn’t a single family member who wouldn’t like to develop a strong bond with the familial children. However, if there is an addict in the family, he should be coerced to give up his/her rights for seeing such children.
In the event of mistreatment, the elders should intervene and be honest about this to the children. Moreover, the family should also take steps to encourage the addict in seeking treatment from the addiction.
Author: Rajan Tiwari
Date: 28 Sep 2019