The Impact of Addiction on Families

When someone we love is suffering the negative effects of substance use, family members find themselves living in fear, confusion and — because of the associated stigma — isolation. That was my reality when I finally accepted that my 21-year-old son had a substance use disorder (addiction). I was desperate for understanding and support, but I had no idea how to find it.

According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half of Americans have a family member or close friend who has been addicted to drugs or alcohol. Even with all that company, I felt completely alone. How could I have missed the signs? And when my eyes were finally open to my son’s drug use, I felt I must be the best person to keep him safe and put him on the right path.

Many family members like me become enmeshed with our loved one and their addiction for years, and it doesn’t always occur to us that we’ve also paid a price — experienced trauma and poor health, lost relationships and are less productive at work. We’re consumed with our loved one’s substance use disorder and related behaviors, just as they are consumed with drugs or alcohol.

Two Recoveries

My son entered treatment in 2010, and through much hard work and personal growth, has remained in recovery ever since. At the very same time that his recovery began, so did mine.

I had the extremely good fortune to learn about a support group that was just for parents whose child of any age has a substance use disorder. Being with other family members who understood what I was going through was imperative for my own recovery.

Peer Support

Once I found the support I desperately needed, I helped launch an initiative called “Be a Part of the Conversation” in 2011. Today, we’re a growing nonprofit organization that serves thousands of individuals in southeastern Pennsylvania and beyond.

We provide community programs — both virtually and in person — that educate the public about substance use and addiction. We help with addressing prevention and early intervention, raising awareness about substance use disorders and related behavioral health challenges, navigating pathways to recovery and supporting the entire family system.

Knowing the value of the peer support that carried me through some very scary times, and seeing so many new meetings springing up throughout the region, I knew it was time to welcome the groups under the Be a Part of the Conversation umbrella. Today we offer a network of 20 Parent Partnership meetings, which take place every week throughout the year, some meeting in person and some virtually.

In addition to community programs and Parent Partnership meetings, Be a Part of the Conversation also offers a Family Recovery Course — a three-part course for parents, guardians or grandparents whose child (at any stage of life) has struggled with substance use. The course is offered online with some in-person opportunities. Each series is capped at 12 participants and is led by two trained peers with lived experience. Participants receive a manual and are offered periodic alumni meetings so we can all stay connected, providing support and understanding whenever needed.

All these programs and services are available at no charge. The positive impact is made evident by the fact that we now have more than 50 Parent Partnership Leaders and Family Recovery Course Instructors, all who come from many different walks of life but give their time and freely share their experience in the service of others.

We all have a shared goal: to shine a light for families who are traveling down a road that none of us were prepared to navigate. We don’t have to be alone on our journey toward healing our family.

Find out more about Be a Part of the Conversation, Parent Partnerships and the Family Recovery course at Conversation.zone.

Kim Porter, CFRS, is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Be a Part of the Conversation. She’s passionate about helping communities understand the impact of addiction on individuals and their families. Kim is a Certified Family Recovery Specialist, which equips her to provide peer support and share her lived experience with other families. Reach her at Kim@Conversation.zone.