Dr. David Sack explains how drug addiction and alcoholism affect not only the addict but also their friends and family. Dr. Sack describes how the addict will often act in different ways that can negatively impact the family. Oftentimes, addicts have a lack of reliability and traits of irresponsibility.
Dr. Sack recognizes the abusiveness often found in family systems with an addicted member. When someone is addicted to drugs, behaviors such as Lying, stealing, and endangering others are not uncommon. Dr. Sack describes the differences between enabling and helping.
Enabling vs. Helping By Dr. Sack
He defines enabling as doing anything that can make the addiction worse and progress further. This often happens when family members, for example, buy alcohol for the alcoholic, so they are safe at home. Short-term safety is often a primary concern for families unsure of how to help effectively.
Helping an addict comes in a few steps:
- The first step is for the family to learn about addiction
- Secondly, the family can have a conversation with the addict, setting boundaries
- Lastly, family therapy sessions are often available at treatment centers.
The treatment may involve both Psychoeducation and family therapy process, other support groups. Both of these combined are helpful for a family system to recover.
In the video, Dr. Sack talks about how an addict not only endangers his/her life but also the lives of his/her loved ones by acting irresponsibly. They can get violent and abusive towards family because they lose emotional control. Drug addicts would do anything to satisfy their cravings, even if it involves threatening their family. But the family can help the addict and themselves by getting help from some addiction expert.