Ten Reasons to Take Action Against Addiction: # 5: Destroyed Families

There are few American families that completely escape the trauma and stress of someone’s addiction. A 2007 survey showed that twenty million people aged 12 and older abuse an illicit drug each month, and 17 million people are heavy drinkers. As a result of this substance abuse, more than 23 million people 12 or older are addicted to illicit drugs, prescription drugs or alcohol. That’s a lot of spouses, parents, siblings and children addicted or affected by addiction.

According to Joseph Califano, the director of Columbia University’s National Center on Drug Abuse and Addiction, the legacy of addiction is broken families, spousal violence, child abuse and teen pregnancy. No stratum of society is exempt from this damage, no profession or trade escapes addiction’s effects.

Alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine in particular are related to incidents of domestic violence. One of the results of this damage in America is the highest rate of divorce in the world. Children of divorce with all the disruption that accompany the process commonly have higher rates of drug and alcohol use during the separation and early years of the divorce.

“When an addicted family member comes home over the holidays it’s very common for the other family members to gloss over the problem and pretend it doesn’t exist.” noted Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “They are just hoping for a few happy moments with the person who has probably been largely missing from their life for awhile. But in fact, the holidays may provide the only opportunity the family has to intervene in that person’s substance abuse and get them into an effective rehabilitation program.”

To read the rest of this article, please go to Destroyed Families. Or visit the website for Narconon Arrowhead.