How does drug or alcohol abuse harm families?

Drug or alcohol abuse has become a worldwide problem in modern times. Not just adults but also teenagers below 17 are addicted to alcohol or/and drugs. Drug or alcohol abuse might affect a persons mental and physical health, but it also has a big affect on a person family, so one should be careful and not risk there health and there family. 

In this essay we will talk about how drug or alcohol abuse harm families.

Why do people get addicted to alcohol or/and drugs?

People take alcohol or/and drugs because they want to change something about their lives. Here are some of the reasons young people have given for taking drugs:

• To fit in
• To escape or relax
• To relieve boredom
• To seem grown up
• To experiment etc.

They think drugs or alcohol is a solution. But eventually, the drugs or alcohol become's the problem. It is really hard to get over something after you are addicted to it and for some people almost impossible. 

People with a mental illness are twice as likely to have a substance use problem compared to the general population. At least 20% of people with a mental illness have a co-occurring substance use problem

How does drug or alcohol abuse harm families?

There are many ways that families can be harmed because of drug or alcohol abuse. Some of them are:

• Children could feel neglected and unsafe
If someone is addicted to alcohol or/and drugs they wont be able to provide the right environment children should be in while growing up. If this happens, there's a higher chance that they will be addicted to alcohol or/and drugs, give the same treatment to there kids, do self harm because of self-blame for a parent's substance abuse.

• Marriage's could be destroyed
Substance abuse can eventually destroy a couple by undermining trust, which weakens the bond between partners. If children are part of the relationship, conflicts over parental responsibilities, neglect, or abuse can occur as a result of one partner's, or sometimes both partner's drinking or drug addiction.


• Financial Problems
If you have a substance addiction, paying for it can get expensive, regardless of the substance. Even something that can be cheap, such as alcohol, can drain your bank account over time, especially if you find you need to use more to get your desired effect. Addiction can also result in unpaid debts, missed payments, late fees, and foreclosure of property.

Those are just some of the ways that families can be harmed because of drug or alcohol abuse, there are so many more.

Conclusion:

Try to avoid drugs and alcohol as much as you can, as it not only damages your health, but also your family. Avoid drugs and alcohol completely if you are under 21. Remember that addiction to alcohol or/and drugs is related to mental health. And of course don't forget to "Stay Healthy, Stay Positive"