The addiction of a family member has a serious impact on the psychic balance of the dependent and his family. Substance addiction affects a wide range of the family relationships and usually has negative effects on the social and economic situation of the family. (Liappas, Mellos, Pomini, 2006).

For the dependent's family, interest has been developed in three different ways:

a. The family as a "victim" of dependence, with focus to the negative consequences of dependence on all members,

b. The family as a dysfunctional system, which contributes to the development and maintenance of dependence, and

c. The family as a helping hand to solve the problem. (Pomini, Liappas, 2007).

On the one hand, the addict uses it to control his feelings and experience a more functional image of himself, on the other the other hand, the more he makes use of substances the more he loses control of his feelings and behaviors (Bateson).

All Programs of “Veresies” Clinic are approved and supervised by the Cyprus National Addictions Authority (CNAA).

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The consequences of addiction on the family of the dependent 

Addiction and substance abuse has a serious impact on public health (Terzidou), with negative consequences not only for the dependent person but also for members of his/her immediate and wider environment, such as episodes of violent behavior or involvement in road accidents due to the use of substances.

Anyone living next to a substance-dependent person is usually exposed to repetitive states of severe anxiety, stress, and dysfunctional behaviors and interactions. Several scientific data reveal the negative effects of substance abuse on wives and children of the addicts. (Copello, Velleman & Templeton, 2005).

Several studies show that children with a substance dependent parent are at a higher risk of developing various problems in their childhood, adolescent and adulthood.

In addition to the genetic burden, there are also psychological and social factors associated with a parent's dependency. These children are often exposed to traumatic situations, episodes of domestic violence, physical and / or sexual abuse, economic insecurity, reduced quality of life, intense expression of emotions in family communication (High Expressed Emotion), collusion between couples, poorer emotional parent-child relationship, inadequate or unstable parental care, insecure parent-child attachment. (Jackson, Parra, Sher, 2004).

Consequently, the dependents' children are at increased risk of having learning difficulties, hyperactivity and attention deficit, behavioral problems, alcohol or other substance abuse, depressed mood and anxiety disorder both in teenage and adulthood. (Preuss, Barnow, Danko, 2002)

The ependent’s children also often experience alternating feelings of love / hate toward the dependent parent, lack of continued parental care, unpredictable parental responses, and learning a dysfunctional behavior pattern that negatively impacts their development.

Younger children take an active role in addressing parental dependence, present protection or control behaviors that are inadequate to their role and age.

It is necessary to pay more attention to the needs of children with dependent parents, to early address and reduce physical and psychological problems that may arise in their childhood and later in life. (Cambiaso, 2006).

In turn, the wives / comrades of the addicts show physical or psychological symptoms directly linked to the recurrent stress situation they experience. (Copello, 2005).

A frequent occurrence of substance abuse is the violent behavior of the addict to his family members. (O'Farrell, Murphy, 2004).

However, the phenomenon of substance abuse can also occur in children of families where none of the parents is a user, but there are other types of dysfunctions that prevent the emotional maturation of the child.

The absence of values, the confusion of roles, the paradoxical or unstable behavior of the father or the mother, features that do not offer a smooth and creative environment for children.

Family factors that researches have demonstrated that they are positively or protectively related to substance abuse prevention refer to:

• parents with positive behavioral patterns, reinforcement of self-esteem and self-confidence of their children through family, school or wider social activities;
• the correct delimitation of relationships, expectations, responsibilities and the realistic approach to possibilities and results (not unreasonable, high or low, expectations but with reference to the abilities of the person concerned and not what is is considered "successful" in our competitive society,
• the contact of parents with the school or extra-curricular environment, and, finally,
• recognition and highlight of the supportive role of traditions and history not only at national but also at local community level (respect for values, customs and customs).

These are some of the factors that indicate that family planning is important for preventing substance abuse. (M. Malliori, 2002).

How does the family contribute to activating the addict? 

One of the most important sources of mobilization of the addicted person is the pressure he/she takes from ihis/her family to face his/her problem. One-third of help requests in relation to drug addiction programs come from a direct relative of the addict, (EKEPEPN, 2006???).

There is a wide range of therapeutic interventions - support and counseling for relatives - both at the individual and at the team level. Their aim is to inform, understand the phenomenon of addiction, mobilize the addict, manage the crisis within the family, and support personal development.

All Programs of “Veresies” Clinic are approved and supervised by the National Addictions Authority of Cyprus (NAAC).

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Dependence - Co-dependence 

At times, many definitions of co-dependence have been formulated. Robert Subby wrote in an article that co-dependence is "That emotional and psychological condition and that behavior that develops when a person is exposed or subjected for a long time to a set of oppressive rules that impede the free expression of emotions, as well as the direct discussion of personal or interpersonal problems".

Earnie Larsen, another expert in coexistence, defines it as "Those self-destructive acquired behaviors or those character deficiencies that result in a decreasing ability to create or engage in relationships of love."

The term co-dependence appeared on the stage of psychotherapy in the 1970s. Robert Subby and John Friel wrote that the term "Originally was designed to describe the person or persons whose life was affected because of their relationship with someone who was chemically dependent. The co-dependent spouse or co-dependent child, or the co-dependent lover of someone who was chemically dependent, was considered a person who created a non-healthy life-style model as a reaction to the misuse of drink or drugs made by someone else."

The person who has allowed someone else's behavior to influence him/her, and in which control of the other person's behavior has become obsessive, is a co-dependent individual. (Melody Beattie, 1996).

The other person may be a child, an adult, a lover, a spouse, a brother, a grandfather, a parent, a client or a close friend. He may be alcoholic or addicted to a drug, mentally or physically ill person.

Veresies Clinic’s experts say that co-dependent people want and have the need for sick people around them to be happy in a sickened way. For example, the wife of an alcoholic needed to marry and chose him because she knew subconsciously that he was an alcoholic. In addition, she wanted him to drink so that she would suffer and feel full and satisfied.

Also, when a co-dependent interrupted his/her relationship with a problem person, he/she often sought to relate to another problem person. These behaviors and these mechanisms of treatment seemed to prevail in the life of the co-dependent person, since the addicted person himself did not change these behaviors.

Characteristics of Co-Dependency

Families seem to be plagued by intense feelings of shame, fear, anger, and pain in their relationships with the addicted person, who was the focal point of all of them. But they could not express these feelings in a healthy way because of their persistence to please and care for the addict. (Andrea Wells Miller, J. Keith Miller, 2010).

Co-dependency is a lot of things. It is a dependency on people, their moods, their attitudes, or even their love. It's a paradoxical dependency. Co-dependent people appear as people who depend on others, but they are also addicted. They appear strong but feel weak. They seem powerful, but in reality they themselves are ruled.

All Programs of “Veresies” Clinic are approved and supervised by the Cyprus National Addictions Authority (CNAA).

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