Heroin addiction is a powerful and devastating disease that affects the lives of millions of people. Sadly, it doesn’t just affect the person suffering from addiction - it also affects friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors, and acquaintances. While people who are stuck in the midst of addiction often fail to think about how their actions are harming those around them, the pain they cause is heart-wrenching. As a former heroin addict who now has several years of sobriety under her belt, I can now see exactly how the darkest days of my addiction left my family and friends with lasting trauma.
When talking about addiction, it is easy to focus on the consequences and repercussions faced by addicts. But, it is just as important to discuss the ways in which a loved one’s addiction traumatizes the entire family. Here are 4 ways a person’s heroin addiction can harm his or her loved ones.
1. Heroin Overdoses Are Harmful to the Individual and the Family, Too
Heroin is an extremely powerful opioid drug that is often laced with even more powerful synthetic opioids, like fentanyl or carfentanil. In 2019 alone, more than 50,000 Americans died from an opioid-related overdose, many of which involved heroin. However, not all overdoses are deadly. Many people come out of their overdose with medical assistance or Narcan, just to return to using heroin again.
Families may live in fear that they will never see their loved ones again due to the risk of overdose. And, many have been surprised with late-night phone calls from friends or medical personnel, informing them of their loved one’s overdose. As if hearing about this isn’t traumatic enough, it can be deeply painful to watch someone survive a potentially fatal overdose - and then start using heroin immediately after leaving the hospital.
2. Failed Interventions, Hostile Emotions, and Refusal to Accept Help
Families and friends who attempt to help those who are addicted are often let down by their loved one’s refusal to go to rehab. When confronting someone about their addiction, they often respond with anger, denial, hostility, and aggression. They may deny having a problem altogether, begin isolating themselves from their friends and family, and continue spiraling out of control. Unfortunately, few people agree to go to rehab until they are truly ready. A heroin addict’s refusal to accept help leaves their loved ones feeling powerless and devastated. And, if these individuals don’t have a healthy way to cope, they can become traumatized themselves.
3. Mothers and Fathers Lay Awake At Night Fearing for their Child’s Life
There are few things more painful in life than watching your child struggle with a progressive and deadly illness. Between the fear of overdosing, getting into legal trouble, and more, mothers and fathers often spend sleepless nights worrying about the whereabouts and wellbeing of their addicted children. While those who are under 18 can be forced into a rehab center, adult children cannot - leaving their parents to suffer powerlessly, losing sleep and hope.
4. Once Sober, Families Live in Fear of Their Loved One Relapsing
Even when an addict gets sober, his or her family may be left with residual trauma and trauma responses as a result of how much they suffered during their loved one’s addiction. Many people are aware that addiction is a relapsing disease, and according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, between 40-60% of people who seek treatment for substance abuse relapse at some point in their recovery. While the fear of relapse is a legitimate one, it can haunt the thoughts, memories, and dreams of family members of recovering addicts. Family members may live in fear that their loved one will relapse at the slightest inconvenience or event.
Support for Family Members of Heroin Addicts
People who suffer from addiction aren’t the only ones who need support. Families of heroin addicts need help, too. With the help of counseling and a support group, the trauma and pain caused by addiction can be lessened.
If you love someone who is addicted to heroin, remember that you deserve to take care of yourself. You cannot help someone if you cannot help yourself. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a counselor or your local Al-Anon group for support.
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