How Alcohol Addiction Affects Families
Addiction of any kind is detrimental. Alcohol addiction is particularly disruptive. In fact, according to the experts at AION Health Group, people with alcoholism suffer from a physical and mental dependence that can negatively impact every aspect of life. This is true not just for the addict, but for their entire family as well.
Alcohol addiction statistics demonstrate that roughly two-thirds of domestic disturbance calls to the police involve alcohol. Relationships are often damaged or outright destroyed by alcoholism and the ways it changes the addict’s priorities.
Neglect of Important Duties
There is an inherent impairment of a person’s physical capabilities and cognitive functions that comes with alcohol use and abuse. This will eventually lead to a neglect of the responsibilities associated with adult life, including work and home.
Bills need to be paid. Children need time and attention. Family gatherings need to be attended. Dishes need to be washed. Lawns need to be mowed.
There are birthdays and holidays, obligations and responsibilities, and dozens of little things that need to happen throughout one’s life. Alcoholism allows the addict to focus on themselves and ignore these responsibilities.
This leads to missed events, disappointed children, insulted friends, and broken promises. Feelings of resentment hurt, and even anger can arise in those who depend on the addict as they become increasingly more focused on alcohol to the exclusion of everything else.
Rise of Legal Concerns
Being intoxicated reduces inhibitions and increases the chance that a person will display disorderly conduct in public, get into a physical altercation and drive under the influence. As expected, these types of behaviors can lead to legal problems.
These legal problems bring with them a plethora of issues for the family of the alcohol addict. The cost alone can be more than most families can bear. In addition to the financial burden, these legal concerns can cause a loss of employment and fractured personal relationships.
Drain on Financial Resources
Alcoholism often creates an enormous drain on resources that negatively impacts the family of the addict. Beyond the obvious cost of alcohol itself, alcohol addiction can become a financial drain on families in many ways.
For one thing, excessive alcohol use can lead to a host of medical issues. These health concerns bring with them an increase in medical costs as well as a lessened ability to earn.
The failure to work regularly associated with alcoholism limits a person’s ability to pay down debt and keep current on bills. This often leads to increased credit card charges to cover the gap between available income and expenses which, in turn, increases the total debt of a family.
Another way it does this is by leading the addict to forget to make timely payments on current bills. This leads to penalties like late fees and other charges.
Takeaway
Alcohol abuse can become all-consuming for the addict and life-altering for all who depend on them. When alcohol becomes the priority in somebody’s life, it is easy to see the negative ripple effect its abuse has across the addict’s entire network of friends, family, colleagues, and employers.
