People become drug addicts in a lot of ways. Drug addiction sneaks up on you and takes control. It doesn’t matter what our social class, status, or background is; addiction is an epidemic. It doesn’t matter how popular or talented you are in life. It doesn’t matter how much you are loved. Everyone that is in your life is affected in some way by your addiction.

How Addiction Begins

When a person becomes addicted to drugs, whether alcohol, legal prescription drugs, or illegal street drugs, they are consumed by the euphoric feeling the drug produces. Eventually, their brain starts craving this sensation and they are forced to find more and more. They become a different person because of their addiction.

No matter how much you love this person, or how much they love you, they will use you, steal from you, lie to you, and take advantage of you. Why? Because the drug is in control. They have no power over the drug or their lives. Addiction becomes a serious problem when the individual starts to harm themselves or others to get their drug of choice. When they are sober, they cannot believe they did those things. Drugs take you to a place of desperation.

The Family Dynamics

The drug addict becomes the focus of the family. Every minute of every day is consumed with worrying about them. You are in a constant battle to “help,” and they are in a continual battle to get the drug they need. You will never meet the demand. You can spend every dime you have and sell everything you own, and tomorrow the addict is back asking for more.

Some members of the family enable the addict by giving them everything they want. They may give it begrudgingly, but the addict doesn’t care, as long as they what they want. They long ago stopped believing the statement, “This is the last time!”

Other members of the family become angry that you allow yourself to be used. They want you to cut them off. Parents often divorce because of this unending battle. The family members who want to force them to their breaking point are fighting the family members who cannot bear the thought of seeing them on the street.

The foundation of the family crumbles as family members take sides. This often makes the enablers hide the resources they are giving to the addict. The entire family wants the same thing, recovery. They simply cannot agree on how to get there. In the meantime, the addict is sucking the resources and life out of the family.

Rehabilitation

The entire family needs help. Every member of the family must come together to fight this battle. Everyone must deal with their own pain, guilt, anger, and be held accountable for their actions. If the addict does not want to fight with the family, they will agree to rehab. But according to our drug defense attorneys, often, they will not.

Until the family reaches a point where they let the addict suffer the consequences of their actions, nothing will get better. The family will split apart. The choice is clear. Make the family well, and invite the addict to participate. They will choose to comply or not to comply. But you have to stand firm with your convictions if you want recovery for yourself.

For more information, speak to a drug defense attorney today.