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The effects of opioid use on the abusers is evident and undeniable, but the effect it has on the people surrounding the abuser is not always talked about, especially by loved ones. Experiencing someone you have loved your whole life endure a drug addiction can be absolutely devastating and change the dynamic of your relationship with them.
According to BioMed Central, children of parents with opioid use disorders showed disorganized attachment, in which individuals desire closeness but fear it simultaneously, leading to inconsistent and unpredictable behavior in relationships. This can cause an emotional impact on the person on the outside watching it unfold as well as mentally.
Family Impact
Watching opioid abuse from the outside – as someone who isn’t addicted but loves someone who is – can have a major impact on every relationship. Parents and siblings begin to lose trust, financial crises start, and caregiving burdens become emotionally draining. According to the United Hospital Fund, opioid addiction is leaving many children in foster or kinship care, caring for younger siblings, and suffering from potentially long-term behavioral and physical health issues. If an adult is suffering from addiction, the impact on their children is astronomical as well.
Perceptions of the abuser begin to slowly change and family members may see that person in a whole different way. This is because people suffering from addiction tend to act a different way when they are under influence, so long-term use can lead to changes in behavior. Because of these changes, family member surrounding the abuser could start to feel uncomfortable and distance themselves from the abuser. The ripple effects caused from the beginning of drug abuse is crucial to understand to prevent it.
Social & Community Impact
Family members are not the only ones affected; friends of the abuser feel an impact as well. Friends are people to enjoy spending time with, but can also be someone to confide in and to share personal information and experiences with.
Even though the social and community impact can be devastating, the impact could come in ways that are positive as well. Jerome M. Adams wrote in Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2018, about his brother’s struggles with substance use disorder. Adams explained the best ways to address opioid addiction and how he learned a lot more about how to prevent addiction.
The effect opioid abuse has on the individuals surrounding the abuser often goes unnoticed and their efforts to mediate the situation often are unappreciated, but this can be changed from the spread of awareness about this topic.
This article was written as part of a program to educate youth and others about Alameda County’s opioid crisis, prevention and treatment options. The program is funded by the Alameda County Behavioral Health Department and the grant is administered by Three Valleys Community Foundation.
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