Addiction and violence adds additional stress to the family system, with or without having a family member with a disability. According to Hanson and Lynch (2013), these issues have negative effects on communication inside and outside of the family. These issues impact the trust within the family, however they also change different roles in the household. For example, a brother or sister may step in as a primary caregiver if the parents are unable to care for their children due to addiction. Those individuals with addiction have a hard time prioritizing others” needs and neglect others within the family system. Violence within families also places various demands on families and how they communicate to others. Violence creates distrust and fear in others where roles within the family are also changing based off the family”s situation. Having a family member with a disability may increase the risk factors for addition and violence as these people may not know how to cope with having a child with a disability. They may not understand how this person communicates and feels about themselves and others and are viewed as vulnerable. Therefore, these individuals may not get a say in what occurs to them, increasing risks for violence. First Step Behavioral Health is a drug and alcohol treatment center in South Florida that focus on inpatient rehabilitation to help families resume normalcy after intervention (Polansky, 2021).
Reference
Hanson, M.J., & Lynch, E.W. (2013). Understanding families: Approaches to diversity, disability, and risk (2nd ed). Baltimore: Brookes.
Polansky, B. (2021). Drug and alcohol treatment resources in Coral Springs, Florida. 1st Step Behavioral Health.