The effects of drug addiction on family relationships

Abstract

Drug addiction in Malta has become more widespread from year to year and people coming from all walks of life seem to be afflicted by the problem. As the title of this dissertation indicates, the main theme revolves around the Effects of Drug Addiction on Family Relationships. The choice of such a topic emerged from my social work experience at St. Mary's Hospital, which is a residential rehabilitation centre for drug abusers. My work brought me in close contact with drug addicts and their families, giving me the opportunity to study and reflect on the many difficulties that this client group has to confront when faced with prolonged drug problems. Such first hand experience made me comprehend that coping with a family member's severe drug problem evoked intense feelings and strong reactions from those surrounding him. This dissertation thus takes into consideration the families of drug dependants, the unit most directly involved before, during and after the drug problem has surfaced at some point in life. The issues discussed will provide insights into the plight which family members coping with drug problems have to go through and their role in the therapy and preventive stages. This study is based on personal first hand experience as well as on research that I have carried out to consolidate my findings. Chapter 1 defines Drug Abuse and Drug Dependence and examines the causes which induce people to abuse of drugs. A general classification of the various types of drugs is also briefly described. Chapter 2 discusses the importance of the family and its influences in the life of a drug addict, and outlines the different types of families found in society. Chapter 3 presents a detailed case-study to show how the presence of a drug addict within a family affects all its members. The whole of the family will experience various social, psychological, financial and emotional stress during this period of time and will need to be attended to as well. During my four year social work experience at St. Mary's Hospital, the family members involved were parents (father and/or mother), with the drug user being their son or daughter. In most cases, the client was well over the age of legal independence and was living away from home. Moreover, the drug user was not always a son or daughter - she or he was a wife or husband, or a parent herself/himself. In fact, the person most closely Involved with the drug user would sometimes be a brother or sister, or a grandparent, or was not related at all, such as a girlfriend or boyfriend. In either case, it was clear from interviews which I carried out with clients and family members, that the effects of addiction on the family members were similar. The case-study dealt with in this chapter thus depicts typical situations faced by a local drug addict and discusses the effects experienced by those closest to the client. Chapter 4 examines the various therapy models which can be adopted in the treatment of drug abuse and the importance of the parents' role in such a process. The imperative need for the therapist to collaborate with the family in achieving the required goals will be discussed. Chapter 5 draws some tentative conclusions and suggestions on the preventive strategies that may be adopted to avoid relapse of rehabilitated drug addicts.