Addiction in general, and alcoholism in particular, touches all aspects of a user’s life, including their family life. The family often suffer greatly seeing their loved one succumbing to addiction. When parents or grandparents reach a certain age they begin transitioning into a new phase of their life that often involves the foundation of their old life crumbling. This can be due to a job change, a child being born or moving out, aging and questioning your place in society and other factors. During these transition stages the allure of drug and alcohol can be great. The user does not know how to cope, and so they turn to drugs and alcohol. In young people the period in which they are more vulnerable are when they reach the transition to adulthood in their late teens and adulthood. During this time everything is up in the air, they are leaving old circles, leaving family behind often and being exposed to new influences and people that will influence their choices. During this time they will face a great deal of stress paired with the new influences, and this can lead to drug and alcohol abuse, unfortunately.
Whatever the age of the loved one the common factor is that the individual is experiencing a transition in their life of some kind. For this reason it is important that family be supportive and attentive to the needs of their family members.
