Alcohol and Family Systems

In this week's lesson, we learned that 17.6 million people abuse alcohol or qualify as alcohol dependent each year. Many times society view substance abuse as a problem with an individual, however, this week we learned differently. The text states that people who were reared in households that are described as having a lack of support and monitoring, inconsistent and/or harsh discipline, and parental hostility or rejection is associated with onset of alcoholism. Also, physical and sexual abuse during childhood is also a risk factor for substance abuse. All families go through crisis at some time or another. In healthy families, when crisis occurs they reorganize and restructure themselves as a response to whatever the crisis is. In unhealthy families that are centered on alcohol, when crisis arise they use alcohol to as a way to respond to the crisis. In the video, Naomi used drugs so that she could satisfy the need to belong and feel loved.

Alcohol can have a vast impact upon the family system. Children who live in homes that are alcohol centered, are often subject to have emotional, cognitive, and behavioral problems. They are also prone to depression and anxiety. In the case study with the Espinozas', there is a young lady with four children who were all negatively affected by her substance abuse. Her children were removed from the home. Her older child was in prison, another on probation, and one with a recent arrest who also tested positive for drugs. I am under the assumption that her children lost respect for her as a result of her substance abuse.

Briones, E., Robbins, M. S., & Szapocznik, J. (2008). Brief strategic family therapy: Engagement and treatment. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 26(1/2), 81-103.

McGoldrick, M., Carter, B., & Garcia-Preto, N. (2011). The expanded family life cycle: Individual, family, and social perspectives (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.