One of the most common ways that families attempt to maintain balance is by ignoring the addiction problem. Families attempt to keep a false sense of normalcy by following three rules: no talking, no feeling, and no trusting. Members learn to shield themselves from hurt by learning not to feel, and because their trust in the addicted parent or spouse has been violated one too many times, they learn not to trust.
Children growing up in these unstable families often adapt by taking on unhealthy roles. These roles each have distinct traits and are taken on for one reason only—to survive the dysfunctional family dynamics. These roles do nothing to help the child, the addicted parent, or other family members. If the situation does not change, these children may carry these roles into their adult lives and perpetuate similar addiction-related problems in their own families.
For this Assignment, you examine unhealthy family roles. You explore how these roles might impact addiction recovery.
Assignment:
In a 2- to 3-page APA-formatted paper, address the following:
- Describe any unhealthy family roles exhibited by Marge’s husband in the media.
- Explain what roles her children have assumed when dealing with Marge’s addiction.
- Select one of these unhealthy family roles.
- Explain how this role could impact Marge and her family.
- As an addictions professional, explain how you might address this unhealthy family role. Provide two resources that would be useful.
Additional resources to use:
Doweiko, H. E. (2019). Concepts of chemical dependency (10th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage.
- Chapter 22, “Codependency and Enabling” (pp. 313-321)
- Chapter 23, “Substance Use Disorders and the Family†(pp. 304-312)
