Family Addictions

Substance abuse is an epidemic in our country affecting people from all walks of life. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 17,602 people were killed by drunk drivers in 2006. It also states that 43% of Americans have been exposed to alcoholism in their families, and over 15 million Americans are dependent on alcohol. Substance abuse is commonly found among dysfunctional families. Here are three stories dealing with the effects of substance abuse in different people’s lives. When I was little my uncle and aunt came to visit my family for Thanksgiving. I had seen them before, or rather they had seen me before, but I was still pretty shy of them. Most of my extended family lives in East Tennessee so I never got to see them much. What I remember most about that visit happened that night. After we had all stuffed our faces with turkey and stuffing, my mom made me and my brother’s go take our baths, and then she put us to bed. But I couldn’t sleep, so I sneaked past my brothers’ bunk bed, and quietly went downstairs. I had to stop though, because the dining room light was on. You see the dining room was right in front of the part of the staircase you can see. So I tip-toed around the parts of the stairs that squeaked, I prided myself on being able to get down the stairs without making a noise, and peeked under the banister. My uncle and my dad were sitting at the table talking. My dad seemed really upset, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Seeing my dad like that, almost angry at my uncle but teary eyed, it really scared me. So I tip-toed back up the stairs, maybe making a few squeaks this time, and tried to wake up my older brother. Jonathan was dead asleep though, probably all that food, so I got a blanket and my pillow, and I slept on the floor in a little corner near the front of their bed. I found out later that my uncle was an alcoholic, and he smoked pot, and my mom would say he did “lots of other drugs”. I still don’t know what those “lots of other drugs” he did were. That’s why he and my dad had stayed up talking. My uncle lost a bunch of money, and my dad was “loaning” him some on the one condition that my uncle got help. That’s why he and my aunt came to Thanksgiving dinner, they needed money. He would tell my dad that he was going to meetings, but then my grandmother, who lived in the same town as my aunt and uncle, would call and ask my dad to come help, because “he was in trouble”. I’m still not really sure what that ever meant either. Sometimes it’s not just that one friend or family member, other times substance abuse runs amongst the whole family.When I was younger I was always aware that my family was dysfunctional due to arguments and domestic physical violence. However I was not aware that drugs and alcohol were involved. My mother was a hard working woman who always tried to put her kids before anyone else, her side of the family were all hard workers that showed my sister and I a vast amount of love and affection. My father on the other hand did not love us. He would always judge us and criticize everyone around him. His side of the family however was drug addicts and alcoholics, who despised my mother and her side of the family. “They” being my father’s side of the family always made us choose between them and my mother. Various cousins, aunts, and uncles are or have done time in jail for either possession of drugs, or selling drugs. My father was diagnosed as a diabetic back in ’97 and he has used his medication for money. In other words he would sell his medication to drug addicts to receive money. The sad thing was we were all aware of this situation, nobody ever said anything because my father was a psychopath. However I do have a cousin that is facing life in prison for drug related actions. I also have an uncle that is always in and out of jail for drug and alcohol related actions.I also have an aunt who was once married with a good husband and a well paying job, with two wonderful kids. She also began to experiment with drugs and she soon became addicted to them. She lost her husband and her kids, she only prostitutes for drugs. Back in 1997 she was tested positive for AIDS. And now nobody is aware of where she is the last we heard from her was about 4 years ago. And she was locked up in prison.Sometime I believe that god put us in these situations for a reason. Everybody is not born with the perfect family however when we have those tough situations we have to find a way to deal with the problems that are given to us on an everyday basis. I can honestly say that I am not embarrassed by the alcoholics and drug addicts in my family because it’s their life and it’s not me. Alcoholics don’t just affect their family; they can have devastating effects on friends as well. During the last year of my life I had to attend a funeral for a close friend of mine. He was killed in a tragic accident. This was a guy I went to high school and hung out with. He was killed by a drunk driver. The week before he died we had spent the week in Panama City for our senior trip. On the way back from Panama City the truck he was in got cut off by another vehicle. When they swerved to miss the vehicle their truck rolled and they hit a pole. My friend was asleep when the accident took place. He never regained consciousness. Three other people were injured in the accident. The drunk driver never stopped or did anything, but fled the scene. My friend’s death was sudden and unexpected. This accident is a very strong reminder of how one bad choice can affect many lives, and how precious life really is. Alcoholism is affecting everyone everyday, and the problem continues to spread. Perhaps these stories will remind you to think twice about the choices you make, and make you decide whether you will do something about the problem or ignore it.