Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that one of the more serious effects of drug and alcohol abuse is the phenomena of co-dependence; others members may resort to drug and alcohol consumption to relieve stress, and this may lead to the spread of this disease in the whole family. The author points out that children in such families are more seriously affected than adults because of the children's inability to comprehend the situation or cope with it. The paper stresses that drug and alcohol addiction can have negative impact on the community as well, as illustrated by the well-documented correlation between addiction and increased criminal behavior.

From the Paper:

"Children may even begin holding themselves responsible for drug abuse within the family. This is because the child is cognitively unable to make sense of the situation and thus he loses self-esteem, becomes socially isolated, and develops feelings of intense guilt and shame. Children in affected families exhibit poor academic performance, social isolation, psychological and emotional problems etc. Disintegration of family unit and increased domestic violence has also been found to result from the presence of a drug addict within the family. Research found that children with a drug addict parent are likely to take over as parent to fill the vacant space in the family unit. Drug addicts usually shun their important responsibilities as parents, which results in children taking on the role of a responsible adult. However, this can be detrimental in the long run when these children become parents themselves. The research found that such children might abandon their own families once they become parents."

More papers on Drug and Alcohol Abuse:

• Essay # 55736 : "Drug and Alcohol Abuse"
• Narrative Essay # 27241 : "Drug and Alcohol Abuse"
• Essay # 55244 : "Drug and Alcohol Use in Young Women"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: