The Health and Family Impacts of Addiction
Addiction, whether to substances or behaviours, carries significant health and family consequences:
Health Effects of Addiction
1. Organ Damage: Prolonged substance abuse harms vital organs, risking life-threatening diseases.
2. Mental Health Struggles: Addictions often coincide with depression, anxiety, and even psychosis.
3. Infection Risks: Injecting drugs increases susceptibility to HIV, hepatitis, and other infections.
4. Overdose Risk: Substance abuse heightens the risk of fatal overdoses.
Family Effects of Addiction
1. Strained Relationships: Addiction strains familial bonds as priorities shift towards substances.
2. Financial Hardships: Job loss and legal issues strain finances, causing stress and instability.
3. Emotional Turmoil: Living with addiction causes fear, anger, and emotional distress.
4. Co-dependency: Enabling behaviours can perpetuate addiction and harm relationships.
5. Trust Erosion: Addiction damages trust, making relationship maintenance difficult.
6. Adverse Childhood Experiences ( ACE) : Our patients often face adverse childhood experiences shaped by family and neighbourhood influences. Understanding these impacts helps us tailor effective treatments. We also focus on breaking harmful behaviour cycles to promote healthier futures for their offspring.
At Jullo, we approach recovery as a journey of healing and growth, recognizing that sustainable change takes time and dedication. While there are no quick fixes, our team is here to guide and support you every step of the way. Rehabilitation marks the beginning of a new chapter, offering hope and a chance for a brighter future. Optimizing brain healing requires ongoing care, typically spanning 3 to 5 years for optimal results. Similarly, children exposed to substance abuse need time and specialized support, with healing estimated at 3-5 years for every year of exposure.
We encourage families to engage in our free long-term support programs, fostering healing and resilience as they navigate the challenges of addiction together. With dedication and professional guidance, we believe in the potential for lasting recovery and thriving, healthy families.