Drug abuse
the victims and rescuers
Picture this scene. a young child eating a bowl of cereal they made for themselves in a house that is filthy, a laundry room full of dirty clothes and a coffee table filled with empty bottles of booze and drug paraphernalia. in a house that has addiction this is not that uncommon of a site. adults who struggle with addiction to drugs and alcohol have problems holding down a job and caring in a responsible fashion for their children
In some cases children are removed from homes and placed into state custody because their living conditions are so bad. This can all be avoided if a parent who is battling with drug addiction or alcohol abuse gets the help of an addiction treatment center. Addiction treatment has been able to restore the lives of many parents and help them to go on to live happy and productive lives while being the responsible and caring parents they were before they got caught in the grips of addiction.
Children that live in homes where addiction is going on are more suspect to be victim’s of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Parents who are addicted to drugs and alcohol are likely not going to be able to give their child the attention that they need and deserve. Children who grow up in a house hold that surrounds them with drugs and alcohol are more apt to have issues with addiction.
Substance abuse is a complicated disorder and has far reaching consequences. The victims of substance abuse extend beyond the unfortunate ones suffering from this disorder and often include family and friends. Treatment options for substance abuse are many; however, positive outcomes are not always guaranteed. Many factors play into the potential for successful treatment. Some of these include the adherence and motivation of the substance abusing patients as well as patients' surrounding environments and support systems. In this article, we present a clinical case of opioid dependence and discuss various treatment options and modalities. We will discuss different variables that may maximize positive treatment outcomes. Also a review of the current literature regarding substance abuse treatment, psychotherapy with the drug abuser, and grief therapy should the substance abusing patient die for the surviving family members will be presented.