Addiction is a Family Disease
When addiction strikes a family, it transforms everyone in the household into unwitting participants in a complex system of survival roles and emotional chaos, making addiction truly a family disease that extends far beyond the individual using substances. This comprehensive guide explores how parents' addiction creates invisible wounds in children who develop hypervigilance and premature responsibilities, while spouses navigate crisis-mode living and progressive isolation that can last for years. Understanding these hidden family dynamics is the crucial first step toward healing that encompasses everyone affected by addiction's devastating ripple effects.