Addiction and Social Problems

Drug addiction is a complex problem.  It is a condition that deeply affects the individual’s mind and body.  Addiction also has wide sweeping affects on that person’s social connection and functioning.  Unfortunately, many addicts don’t realize the social impact of their addiction until much of their functioning has greatly deteriorated.

Stigma From Addiction Interferes With Extension of Help

It’s easy to see how a mail carrier with a broken arm would have problems performing their job properly.  They may also have trouble cooking dinner and doing many normal daily tasks.  However, very few people would shake their head in disappointment or feel like this person was ruining their life from this injury. 

A person with an addiction has an unfortunate stigma along with their very legitimate problems.  The addict with problems with work and home gets little sympathy or offers for help.  The social problems that result from an addiction are often more dangerous, stemming from a poor judgement and extreme behaviors.

Addiction Causes Problems At Work and School

Absenteeism is a huge problem with addiction.  When someone’s hung over or still feeling high, going to work or school is often the last thing on their mind.  And if they do attempt to go, they often get strange looks and might get tested for drugs.  If that happens, an adult could lose their job and a student could face big trouble at school. 

Aside from showing up drunk or high, a drug addiction clearly interferes with good brain functioning.  A student can’t focus or problem solve well enough to get good grades when they are frequently high or dealing with withdrawal.  An employee might be performing dangerous or highly responsible jobs with serious impairment to their judgment. 

Financial problems From Addiction

Financial problems associated with addiction can come from many directions.  Drugs and alcohol cost money, which could easily put a strain on a family or personal budget.  If a person is caught stealing to support their habit, they can look forward to fines and hefty legal fees.

Of course, when someone loses their job because of their addiction, they may have some real difficulty securing another job.  Unless they go directly to drug treatment after getting fired, they are likely to have the same difficulties in the next job they get. 

Problems With Family and Friends From Addiction

Relationships thrive on personal attention and kind behavior.  A drug or alcohol addict typically devotes a lot of time and attention to their drug seeking and using behaviors.  This leaves little time to cultivate and keep up positive relationships.  When one person in a relationship drifts off, the other person often feels abandoned or like they did something wrong. 

Unfortunately, this is often why marital conflict and divorces are fairly common among drug and alcohol addicts.  Sometimes drug rehab can help, but other times it is too late.  Too much trust has been lost, and the spouse or partner has been hurt too many times.  Children are often on the raw end of the deal as well.  The absence (emotional and/or physical) of an addicted parent can have devastating effects for a lifetime.

Drug Rehab Can Turn Around Social Problems

A drug addict’s social functioning may get so bad that the only choice is drug rehab, if not jail.  If a person gets to drug rehab before they begin getting into legal trouble, they can save themselves a great deal of time, money, and suffering.  They can learn healthy living habits and ways to live without the influence of drugs and alcohol.  They can replace social problems with social health.