{"id":3437,"date":"2024-01-12T13:39:13","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T13:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/?p=3437"},"modified":"2024-01-12T13:39:13","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T13:39:13","slug":"dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/","title":{"rendered":"Dysfunctional Family Roles: Examining the Effects of Addiction in Family Behaviors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Addiction is a family disease that impacts the lives of each person in a family system in different ways. Family members may face a range of emotions as they watch their loved one struggle with substance abuse, and the entire family may get pulled into a destructive cycle of responses and behaviors.<\/p>\n

While each family is made up of individuals with their own experiences and feelings, specific patterns and roles can emerge in families affected by addiction. This article will explore some of the most common dysfunctional family roles that develop when one member lives with substance abuse or addiction.<\/p>\n

Reach out to the team at Arise Treatment Center to learn more about the effects of addiction on family behaviors or to explore our holistic treatment programs.<\/p>\n

<\/span>How Does Addiction Affect Family Behaviors?<\/span><\/h2>\n

When someone lives with drug and alcohol addiction, their family may develop certain behaviors or roles to compensate for the addicted person\u2019s shortcomings or to cope with their own emotions related to their loved one\u2019s addiction.<\/p>\n

While each person responds differently to the stress of a loved one\u2019s addiction, six distinct patterns of behavior often develop among members of a family. Here is an overview of these dysfunctional family roles.<\/p>\n

<\/span>1. The addict<\/span><\/h3>\n

As you might expect, the addict is the person in the family who lives with substance abuse and addiction. An addict\u2019s behaviors often relate directly to the substances they use. Their behaviors may be erratic, unpredictable, or even aggressive at times. Or, they may lack energy, fall behind in their responsibilities, or become unreliable as a parent<\/a> or partner.<\/p>\n

The addict often avoids accepting personal responsibility for their actions and may blame others for their shortcomings and behaviors.<\/p>\n

<\/span>2. The caretaker<\/span><\/h3>\n

An addict often can\u2019t function without significant support from a caretaker. The caretaker often engages in behaviors that enable the addict, such as covering up their substance abuse, working harder to make up for the addict\u2019s shortcomings, and sacrificing their own well-being to meet the addict\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n

The caretaker is often the addict\u2019s spouse or partner, but this role can be filled by anyone very close to the addict. The caretaker believes they are preventing severe harm to the addict\u2019s health and well-being and may feel that they are the \u201cglue\u201d holding the family together. However, the enabler often prevents the addict from realizing that they need help.<\/p>\n

<\/span>3. The hero<\/span><\/h3>\n

The hero is most often the oldest child in the family. The hero feels tremendous pressure to perform well or strive for perfection to shield their family from criticism or scrutiny. The hero may strive for perfect grades at school, a high-paying job, achievement in sports, or other concrete external validation of their worth.<\/p>\n

The hero may feel a deep need to control every aspect of their life and believe their achievements can stabilize their home situation. However, the hero is likely to carry a heavy burden of stress and may face their own mental and physical health challenges as a result.<\/p>\n

<\/span>4. The scapegoat<\/span><\/h3>\n

Addiction can cause severe dysfunction in families when both the addict and caretaker are unwilling to acknowledge the source of their family\u2019s problems. In some cases, the addict and caretaker will look to another family member\u2013often a child\u2013to take the blame for the mess they\u2019re in. This person becomes the family scapegoat.<\/p>\n

The scapegoat takes the blame for things that go wrong within the family system and may eventually act out as a result. They may rebel against family norms and rules or leave the family altogether. The scapegoat is also more likely to develop their own substance abuse issues later in life as a way to cope with their stress.<\/p>\n

<\/span>5. The mascot<\/span><\/h3>\n

The mascot uses humor and distraction to relieve tension within the family. The mascot may make jokes, use self-deprecating humor, or become sarcastic during family situations as a way to distract others from their problems.<\/p>\n

Within the family, the mascot may have a reputation for being immature or insensitive. However, in many cases, the mascot is highly sensitive and may experience chronic stress from the family\u2019s dysfunction.<\/p>\n

<\/span>6. The lost child<\/span><\/h3>\n

The lost child role is often adopted by a younger family member. They may feel very unsafe or insecure within the family and make every attempt to \u201cdisappear into the woodwork.\u201d The lost child will do anything to avoid confrontation, even if it means living with a lot of discomfort and uncertainty.<\/p>\n

Any attention the lost child should have been given is shifted to the addict\u2013and the lost child does not do anything to seek attention. They feel invisible in their own home and may carry significant trauma and challenges into adulthood.<\/p>\n

Families affected by addiction can learn to identify and heal these dysfunctional roles by participating in their loved one\u2019s addiction treatment program<\/a> (when appropriate) and finding support in the community.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Learn More About Healing the Family After Addiction<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you or your family are affected by substance abuse or addiction, you are not alone. Reach out to the Arise Treatment Center team to learn about our comprehensive addiction treatment programs or explore our family support resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Addiction is a family disease that impacts the lives of each person in a family system in different ways. Family members may face a range of emotions as they watch their loved one struggle with substance abuse, and the entire family may get pulled into a destructive cycle of responses and behaviors. While each family […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3438,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDysfunctional Family Roles in an Addicted Household<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore some of the most common dysfunctional family roles that develop when one member lives with substance abuse or addiction.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dysfunctional Family Roles in an Addicted Household\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore some of the most common dysfunctional family roles that develop when one member lives with substance abuse or addiction.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"arisetc.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-01-12T13:39:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dysfunctional-Family-Roles-Examining-the-Effects-of-Addiction-in-Family-Behaviors.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"888\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"888\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Arise Treatment Center\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Arise Treatment Center\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/\",\"name\":\"Dysfunctional Family Roles in an Addicted Household\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dysfunctional-Family-Roles-Examining-the-Effects-of-Addiction-in-Family-Behaviors.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-12T13:39:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-12T13:39:13+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6fd660ae50394ceaf1f2a3312242634d\"},\"description\":\"Explore some of the most common dysfunctional family roles that develop when one member lives with substance abuse or addiction.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dysfunctional-Family-Roles-Examining-the-Effects-of-Addiction-in-Family-Behaviors.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dysfunctional-Family-Roles-Examining-the-Effects-of-Addiction-in-Family-Behaviors.jpg\",\"width\":888,\"height\":888,\"caption\":\"dysfunctional family roles in an addicted household\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Dysfunctional Family Roles: Examining the Effects of Addiction in Family Behaviors\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/\",\"name\":\"arisetc.com\",\"description\":\"Just another WordPress site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6fd660ae50394ceaf1f2a3312242634d\",\"name\":\"Arise Treatment Center\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/570b27d6eb018583e35a6a140a5f85ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/570b27d6eb018583e35a6a140a5f85ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Arise Treatment Center\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/author\/william-weiss\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Dysfunctional Family Roles in an Addicted Household","description":"Explore some of the most common dysfunctional family roles that develop when one member lives with substance abuse or addiction.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Dysfunctional Family Roles in an Addicted Household","og_description":"Explore some of the most common dysfunctional family roles that develop when one member lives with substance abuse or addiction.","og_url":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/","og_site_name":"arisetc.com","article_published_time":"2024-01-12T13:39:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":888,"height":888,"url":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dysfunctional-Family-Roles-Examining-the-Effects-of-Addiction-in-Family-Behaviors.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Arise Treatment Center","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Arise Treatment Center","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/","url":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/","name":"Dysfunctional Family Roles in an Addicted Household","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dysfunctional-Family-Roles-Examining-the-Effects-of-Addiction-in-Family-Behaviors.jpg","datePublished":"2024-01-12T13:39:13+00:00","dateModified":"2024-01-12T13:39:13+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6fd660ae50394ceaf1f2a3312242634d"},"description":"Explore some of the most common dysfunctional family roles that develop when one member lives with substance abuse or addiction.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dysfunctional-Family-Roles-Examining-the-Effects-of-Addiction-in-Family-Behaviors.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Dysfunctional-Family-Roles-Examining-the-Effects-of-Addiction-in-Family-Behaviors.jpg","width":888,"height":888,"caption":"dysfunctional family roles in an addicted household"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/dysfunctional-family-roles-examining-the-effects-of-addiction-in-family-behaviors\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Dysfunctional Family Roles: Examining the Effects of Addiction in Family Behaviors"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/","name":"arisetc.com","description":"Just another WordPress site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6fd660ae50394ceaf1f2a3312242634d","name":"Arise Treatment Center","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/570b27d6eb018583e35a6a140a5f85ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/570b27d6eb018583e35a6a140a5f85ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Arise Treatment Center"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/arisetc.com"],"url":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/author\/william-weiss\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3437"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3437"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3437\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3439,"href":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3437\/revisions\/3439"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arisetc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}