How do drugs ruin a family?

Answer 1

The families of teen drug users are affected in these ways: * With more single mothers and an absent father and more divorces this is difficult enough on children. Some children feel they are responsible for the divorce and often parents don't take the time to explain to them that it is not their fault. * Children to teens have more peer pressure and magazines, movies, TV, the Internet don't always help their self esteem or, in many cases confuses the teen as to how to act and how to look rather than the truth. * Some teens start out with lesser drugs such as Marijuana, but what most teens or parents do realize is that Marijuana is much stronger than it use to be or could be laced with other addictive drugs; perhaps alcohol and the most unsuspected drug of all ... what's in mom and dad's medicine cabinet .. prescription drugs! * Monkey see, monkey do! If the parents party, drink too much or even smoke Marijuana or do prescription drugs themselves their teens are more apt to follow in their foot steps. * Parents are so busy working to put keep a roof over their heads and food on the table they often are too tired to see how their child or teen is reacting and before they know what hit them their teen is out of control. Parents wonder why 'Jim' is acting moody, belligerent, sassy and refuses to cooperate. Why their teen may run away or do poorly in school. * Children of all ages can get into the revolving door of drugs and then don't know how to get out of it. By this time the child or teen may be so into drugs that it is difficult for the parents to know what to do. * Children/teen drug users can destroy a whole family by their arguing; stealing money for drugs; being violent both verbally and physically and abusing their own parents to their siblings. They often run away for days on end leaving the parent(s) worrying themselves sick. * There are now good programs to go too for parents called 'Intervention' and the early a parent(s) child is treated the better chance they have of making it to sobriety. This article is under the 'The Freedom of Speech Law': It's hard for most parents to believe that their child might be caught up in substance abuse and in need of professional help. Don't feel bad if you didn't see the warning signs until your child was in trouble or until someone told you about a drug problem in your family. When most parents find out about their child's drug abuse, they feel shocked and stunned and wonder where they went wrong. Many children and teens feel great pressure to try alcohol, tobacco, and drugs (ATD). They are flooded with pro-use messages from their friends; from alcohol and tobacco advertising and marketing; and from movies, music, Music Videos, and Web sites that appeal to youth. Parents often have less time to spend with their equally busy kids and fewer chances to keep track of their activities, friendships, and other influences. Parents feel like they are not ready to guide children on serious matters like alcohol and drug abuse. Try not to blame yourself or your child if he has a substance abuse problem. The important thing is to act now to find the best available services to help your child stop using drugs and alcohol and begin building a drug-free future. Your child's school may suggest a good substance abuse treatment program. If not, the school district is likely to have a substance abuse prevention and counseling program. Contact them for help. Local substance abuse or anti drug coalitions also can refer you to treatment services. To find a coalition in your neighborhood, check out http://www.helpyourcommunity.org/. Your county's health department probably has substance abuse services and is another good source for information. The county agency may be called "alcohol and drug programs" or "behavioral health" or may be within a "mental health services" division. A call to the county health agency's general information number should point you in the right direction. The Frequently Asked Questions page at http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/faq.htm will bring you to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator. The site includes a quick search feature to help you find details about substance abuse treatment programs in your area. Unfortunately, the demand for services to meet the treatment needs of teens and children is greater than the treatment options available. So, there are a few questions you should ask of any program before placing your child in their care: # How does the program meet the needs of people under age 18? # How does the program assess a teen's problems? # Does the program offer medication as part of the treatment plan, if needed? # How does the program review/update its treatment plan in light of a client's progress? # How is the family part of the treatment experience and process? # What does the program do to help children stay in treatment? # What are the staff's qualifications? Is the program run by State-accredited, licensed, or trained professionals? What clinical supervision is given? # Is the facility clean, organized, and well-run? # Does the program encompass the full range of needs of the child (medical, including Infectious Diseases; psychological, including co-occurring mental illness; social; vocational; legal; etc.)? # Does the treatment program also address sexual orientation and physical disabilities as well as provide age, gender, and culturally appropriate treatment services? # Does the program offer counseling (individual or group) and other behavioral therapies to enhance the child's ability to function in the family/community? Are single-sex groups, as well as mixed groups, offered? Are there male and female counselors? # What followup care is given after treatment is over? Does the program employ strategies to engage and keep the child in longer-term treatment, increasing the likelihood of success? # What evidence is there to show that the program works? # What are all of the costs involved in enrolling a child in the program? What types of insurance coverage are allowed? Are "scholarships" or sliding-scale fees given? As with any illness or medical problem, early intervention and treatment of your child's substance abuse raises the chances of successful results. The sooner your child gets help, the less harm her drug or alcohol problem may cause and the better her chances are of developing a healthy, safe, and drug-free lifestyle. With your encouragement and support and an effective treatment plan, what is now a painful family experience can become a positive step toward a happy and fulfilling future.

Talk With Your Child-It's important to establish and maintain good communication with your child. Get into the habit of talking with your child every day. Get Involved-It really can make a difference when you get involved in your child's life. Young people are much less likely to have mental health and substance use problems when they have positive activities to do and when caring adults are involved in their lives. Set Rules-Make clear, sensible rules for your child and enforce them with consistency and appropriate consequences. Be a Good Role Model-Set a good example for your child. Think about what you say and how you act in front of him. Teach Kids To Choose Friends Wisely-Support your child's social development. Teach your child how to form positive relationships. Monitor Your Child's Activities-Do you know what your child listens to and reads and how she spends time with her friends? Additional Resources * Al-Anon/Alateen * Families Anonymous * National Families in Action * Parents-The Anti-Drug * SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) * SAMHSA's Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator * The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) * NCADD also offers two help lines offering information on intervention, counseling, and treatment. Call 1-800-NCA-CALL or 1-800-475-HOPE.

Answer 2

How do drugs effect friends and family? A healthy family requires a good handle on reality. Wherever illusions take the place of reality, relationships suffer and the delicate balance that is family begins to disintegrate. Drug abuse is an attempt to escape from what is felt to be an untenable reality. It is believed that the escape is the solution but this is part of the illusion. Any solution that is not based in reality is no real solution at all. When one member of a family retreats into this drug induced illusion it becomes impossible for the family to sustain itself in a healthy and life giving way. A link in the chain is sorely damaged. What is real can no longer be relied upon as common ground. Communication cannot make its way across the gulf between reality and the escape from that reality.

WHEN A CHILD TAKES DRUGS

Knowing that your child is abusing drugs may not be as easy as it is made out to be. As parents we are always on the look out for our children's welfare. We watch over them and worry about them but, even then, we may not be the first to know if our child is seeking excitement and comfort in chemical substances.

Statistics show that parents that unambiguously communicate their desire that their children stay well clear of drugs are 50% less likely to have children that do drugs. Communication cannot be underestimated. Communication, however, is not just telling our kids how we feel about drugs it is creating a climate where they feel comfortable to give us their own UNCENSORED view.

The first thing that a parent feels when a child is discovered to be taking drugs is overwhelming guilt and some anger. The anger is aimed at the fact that the loved one has placed themselves in danger and this is unbearably painful for a parent. The guilt comes from a feeling that they should have known, that there was something that they could have done to stop this from happening.

When your child takes drugs it is time to take off the blinkers. All of them. The only way out is going to be through a great deal of painful but liberating honesty and overzealous feelings of guilt don't help. Guilt trips for parent or child are not appropriate. You need to practice forgiveness and compassion like you have never done previously. You will also need professional help. Don't be afraid, good help should strip you naked and give you nowhere to hide, you and your child. This is good. Your family will never be the same again. It will be stronger and more robust. This is the potential.

WHEN A PARENT TAKES DRUGS

When a parent takes drugs the child feels that their childhood has been taken from them. They begin to take on the role of parent to their childlike mother or father. This means that they end up surrendering all their own questions and issues about life to the overwhelming parental dilemma.

More often than not the child of the drug addict feels painfully responsible. He or she can never relax into their own lives. They must always be vigilant lest the sky fall. They give up their own feelings on a deep profound level believing that they must be strong for a parent that is invariably a poisonous mixture of need and anger.

Children of alcoholics and drug addicts can have their young lives irreparably damaged if they do not seek help from neutral outside agencies. It is important that these people are not extended family members who end up treating the child like the responsible adult. Support groups and relevant professionals have the power to give the children of addicts their childhood back. This is crucial.

WHEN A PARTNER TAKES DRUGS

It is tough to love someone who is lovable one moment and a monster the next. It is tough not to feel somehow responsible for their pain. It is tough not to give up your own life in support of a lost cause.

Honesty this is the only defence in the domestic situation that involves the drug addict partner. Being a strong partner can not only save yourself and your partner but more importantly it will provide a redemptive role model for children in the family.

When one parent is disintegrating it is all the more important that children be able to look to the other parent for support. The addict creates a quasi reality that threatens to suck in every member of the family. The addict has lost contact with reality and is being ruled only by his or her need for the substance of addiction.

If the sober partner finds it too difficult to confront the drug addict he or she should be strong enough to recognize that and seek help from professionals outside of the little hell that is fast being created by the addictive behaviour.

Drug addiction and abuse has the power to destroy a family forever. The best defence is to take it 100% seriously. This means admitting that the problem will not go away if you all conspire to ignore it. The best defence is to look the interloper straight in the eye and act to save every member of the family. Immediately. Do not wait for a catastrophe. Do not worry that you are over reacting. Trust your gut on this and get help.

Answer 3

Usualy drug and alcohol effect lots of families. Most of the out comes due to drugs and/or alcohol is that children can be taken away from homes, or something else could happen like a baby could die in the whome of a soon to be mother. Drugs and/or alcohol is justy not good under any circumstances.

Answer 4

It depends on how they affect you. If you take any type of drug frequently and on a regular basis, (also depending on how strong the drug is) it can effect your family in a way of,

. Not being able to see you much.

. Feeling they are loosing you to the drug.

. Being able to see physically and emotionally the effects of the drug

. Maybe if the drugs got out of hand things could get violent.

. You may be being particularly argumentative or aggressive.

. Could affect any childrens childhood growing up. The household may be far from peaceful and a nice place to grow up. This could lead to a deppressed life and some major emotional scars.

. Worse still, they could take their parents lead and also take drugs.

Answer 5

The affect that drugs can have on families can be positive or negative. If there is a substance abuse in consideration then the affect on the family can result in a negative outcome. Ex- Hurt, anger, frustration, confusion, depression, and even death. If the drug being used is only used as directed and is used for the right reasons then the affect can be positive in ways that will help the family cope with problems and function properly. Ex- drugs used for mental illness help with everyday activities, happiness, healthy expression and feelings.

Answer 6

Drug abuse on family life could be catastrophic. Your spouse may be so upset with the problem, they may leave you. Also, if children are involved, this could ruin their own education due to the problem at home. Drug abuse will also most likely cause a great financial problem.

Answer 7

The main effect of an illegal drug is to distort reality, thus making the user to harm himself and his family.