The family system of addictive substance users

Substance dependence is a biopsychosocial, multidimensional and multifactorial phenomenon. The family is a dynamic and multifaceted system of ideas, emotions and behaviors. The elements of the family system influence and feed off each other, and changes within the family have an impact both individually and collectively as the family goes through its life cycle. The results of most research studies pointed out that: 1) the phenomenon of substance dependence is not associated with a specific type of family i.e. with a stable pathognomonic profile 2) drug-dependent personalities can arise in different types of family structure 3) certain characteristics of family structure, in general, seem to be common to the functioning of families of addicted persons 4) in the family of substance-dependent persons the characteristics that are found in many other families 5) there is a high incidence of mental disorders in the family of substance abusers and 6) therapeutic intervention in the family is imperative, but must be accompanied by other interventions. Substance dependence seriously affects public health and needs to be addressed in a variety of ways. It has become clear that intervention in the family becomes necessary in order to change the behavior of the user, to change the attitudes of other family members and to modify the overall family dynamics.

Keywords: Substance dependence, addicted personality, family system, coping strategies