The destructive nature of drug addiction is something that you need to take very seriously because it can affect all of your relationships in adverse ways. Whether it’s a romantic relationship, a friendship, or a relationship with family members, none of your relationships are safe from the harms of substance abuse. Therefore, it is crucial to know how substance abuse harms relationships and ways that substance abuse treatment can help. Regardless of how long you or a loved one has been struggling with substance abuse, it’s never too late to get the help you need. Naturally, however, the longer you wait to seek help, the longer it will take to repair the damage done.
How Substance Abuse Harms Relationships
Drug use is not just a one-person problem – everybody involved in the life of a substance abuser is likely to be affected by their consistent drug use. Sadly, those who are addicted may not understand how substance abuse harms relationships or may be unable to see the forest through the trees due to their addiction. Just a few ways that they are hurting the ones they love include how addiction:
- Causes a person to pull away from relationships that don’t reward their drug abuse
- Triggers anxiety in those who are watching their loved one suffer from addiction
- Creates a co-dependent relationship in those who may abuse drugs with their partner
- Makes children suffer as they watch their parents spiral downward and worsen in health due to their addiction
- Makes those children more likely to abuse drugs due to the influence that parental behavior has on their young minds
- Produces an uncertainty and unpredictability around the person who uses, making life very scary and hard to tolerate
All of these adverse side effects are very common when a person abuse drugs, and these are just a few examples of how substance abuse harms relationships. Not to mention, overdoses can end relationships if a person dies, causing trauma for all involved — friends, family, and significant others. Therefore, it is critical to go through drug addiction therapy to ensure that these problems are resolved before it’s too late.
Ways to Help a Loved One in Recovery
Recovering from drug abuse is also not a one-person situation – a person in recovery will need all the support that they can get from their loved ones to get through this experience. Over time, relapse is always possible as a person goes through the ups and downs of life. Thankfully, there are many ways that loved ones can help to prevent this. For example, they can go through family therapy in a rehab facility to provide them with a better understanding of how best to help their loved one in recovery, and understand the triggers that may result in relapse. When loved ones take it upon themselves to learn more about substance use disorders and relapse prevention, drug users have a built-in sobriety support network. Family members and friends can help by tracking their triggers and steering them away from a relapse. These steps can be a challenge for many, but help to ensure that recovery is as smooth as possible for the person who is seeking long-term recovery.
Get Help From Us Today
Do you need help better understanding of how substance abuse harms relationships and what you can do to help? Then please call 1-866-824-5193 today to learn more. At Atlantic Recovery Center, we have years of experience with problems like these and will do what we can to help you and your loved one. Our small family-style care is often just what many people need to recover. And when you verify your insurance, you make sure that you pay as little as possible for your ultimate addiction recovery.