Families and Substance Abuse

A Critique of the Paradigm

Affiliated Clinical Associates

Specialists in Behavioral Health & Addictions

Atlanta, Chicago, and New York

Community Topic: Queens Village, New York

April 2, 2010

Presenter:

Donald P. Payne, BGS, MS, D.MSc. Ed.D (Candidate), NCC, CADC

Addiction Specialist-Clinician-Psychotherapist

Director of Clinical Services

Date: April 2, 2010

Revised: July 26, 2010 for “Presentation”

The Parent Power Power Now! Community

July 26, 2010

PPN Community Tele-Forum

Under the Auspices

Of

The Honorable Glenda A. Hatchett

Former Presiding Chief Judge of the Juvenile Justice Courts

Fulton County, Atlanta, Georgia

Dr. Payne’s

Discussion notes

§  How does the issues of Substance Abuse and Alcohol Cause Changes in the Family Structure?

Drugs and alcohol are substances that alter individuals’ behaviors buy producing changes in:

§  Aggression: some research demonstrates that substance abuse may cause an increase in violence and child abuse. Substance abuse may increase the risk for loss of control, decreased inhabitations, along with impaired judgment, memory and attention.

§  Substance abusers often neglect children with regards to physical, emotional, and cognitive needs.

§   An action by the substances abuser is often excused as “…he or she had one too many…he or she does not really act that way….”

§  Substance abusers are more often to engage in conflict and in an emotionally abusive mood.

§  Substance Abuse can often lead to depression, anxiety, paranoia, and “substance abuse psychosis (Distortion of reality). The depression, anxiety, and paranoia component could lead to suicide and homicidal thoughts (ideations).

§  These same symptoms of depression and anxiety may be translated to the partner and family members that live with the substance abuser.

How is Substance Abuse Maintained?

§  One Partner abuses the substance and the other partner maintains the behavior (‘…Don’t upset your Father…he been drinking again…’). This process is called enabling.

§  The parent(s) are using, and the children become parent to the adult parents and parents to themselves.

§  If the substance abuser has a fatal misfortune to drug or alcohol: family members may internalize their pain and continue to perpetrate the same type of abusing behaviors.

§  Denial is the controlling factor in the substance abuse family dynamic.

§  Distorted problem solving coping skills.

§  Difficult Family Structuring: Appearances of congruency is lacking: Chaos is the controlling ‘norm.’

§  Communication Issues:

o   Faulty communicate among members of the family.

o   Communications among family members are non-existent.

Intervention Strategies: What is available?

§  Sobriety intervention: Family Members, clergy, friends, professionals to meet wit the person who is abusing substances: in an attempt to persuade that individual to accept an intervention toward sobriety in a treatment facility.

§  Personal Therapy:

o   To mend broken bonds.

o   Change dysfunctional dynamics and rectify skills deficits.

o   Develop coping skills to abate self-defeating behaviors

§  Family Therapy:

o   To identify family dynamic.

o   Learn ways to become close as well as distant.

o   Defuse family sabotage issues.

o   Developing a support environment.

§  Group Therapy: Therapeutic Group Therapy (clients under the direction of a clinician).

o   Self -help Groups (12-Step).

o   AA meeting (Alcohol Anonymous).

o   NA Meeting (Narcotics Anonymous).

o   CA Meeting (Cocaine Anonymous).