Using drugs recreationally is not an uncommon practice. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11.7 percent of all Americans over the age of 12 abused a drug over the past month (in the year 2018). The CDC also reports that drug overdose deaths have been on the rise in recent years. In 2017 alone, there were 70,237 drug overdose deaths reported in the U.S. Overdose is not the only negative impact of illicit drug use. Many people who use drugs for an extended period experience a wide range of personal consequences, from financial insecurity to broken relationships and lost jobs. One of the most quickly occurring and potentially devastating consequences of drug abuse and addiction is the negative effect of drug abuse on interpersonal relationships.
Wide Range of Consequences Due to Drug Abuse
If you have any personal experience with an addiction, you most likely understand what we’re talking about. Over time, you inevitably push the people you love farther and farther away. Your friends and family members express concern, and rather than listen to what they have to say; you do everything in your power to continue using your drug of choice, uninterrupted. As your addictive disorder grows more and more severe, you will continue to lose people until you are all alone in the world (that’s how it will feel, at least). How can drugs negatively affect relationships, and how can you mend relationships that have been broken during active addiction? 
How Does Drug Addiction Affect Relationships?
How do drugs and drug abuse or addiction affect relationships? There are numerous ways, and the specifics depend heavily on the type of relationship and the person. For example, a child/parent relationship might become strained if the son continuously abuses drugs and his parents stay up late worrying about his well-being. They might attempt to set personal boundaries and find themselves unable to cut him off completely for fear that he will overdose and die if they do.
More About How Drug Addiction Affect Relationship
However, once the son maintains sobriety for an extended period, there is a good chance that this relationship will be mended. On the other hand, say a young man continuously shows up to work under the influence. Eventually, his employer catches him using drugs while he is at work. There is a very small chance that this professional relationship will be mended once the young man becomes sober. The young man may owe his old employer an amends (as he works through the steps with a sponsor), but there is very little chance that he will be hired back on to work the same position.
How Does One Go About Mending Relationships Once Long-Term Sobriety Is Achieved?
First, it is important to trust the process and understand that no one owes you their forgiveness. If you have repeatedly wronged someone, there is no contract written that says they have to be your friend again if you stay sober for a year. Second, have faith that any irreparable damage you did to your interpersonal relationships while in active addiction will be accepted over time and that your old relationships will be replaced with new relationships. So long as you stay sober, everything else will fall into place.
Start Your Drug Addiction Recovery at Evoke Wellness at Miramar
At Evoke Wellness at Miramar, we treat addiction at its roots, tackling the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual implications of long-term drug abuse. We understand that addiction is a complex disease because it does much more than damage the physical body, destroying health and wellness. The consequences of addiction must be addressed thoroughly for long-term sobriety to be achieved. One of our main priorities is ensuring that our clients feel prepared to transition back into independent living once their drug addiction treatment program concludes. Part of the way we plan on doing this is by helping them develop the skills they need to maintain healthy and functional relationships. To learn more about our comprehensive recovery program or to get started with our straightforward admissions process, contact us today. All calls are free and confidential.
