This class is designed to help you understand the basics of alcohol and other drug addiction and the impact the disease has on all members of the family.
The Family Disease
Alcohol another drug addiction is not a disease that only affects the person who has a problem with alcohol or other drugs. Rather, it influences the lives of all those close to the person suffering from the disease.
A family is hooked together like a mobile over a babies crib. Whatever happens to one person affects the balance of the entire family. When addiction begins to take control of the life of one person in the family, other members adjust their own behavior.
Often, these changes or attempts to help control or lessen the damage the addicted person is causing. The partner, parent or child wants to make things better. As a result, family members act or adjust to try and keep things in order. Sometimes they aren’t even where they are doing this.
For the purpose of this class, family is defined as any supportive person who is willing and able to assist the addicted person in his or her recovery. This may include a spouse, sibling, father, mother, son, daughter, other relative, neighbor or close friend.