How Does Substance Abuse Affect Families

Neither John, Gwen, nor Miguel began taking drugs with the intention of harming others. Nor were they aggressive or abusive in nature. Yet their long-term substance abuse harmed others, including family members, friends, and the communities in which they lived.
John’s substance abuse had negative consequences for his family and his community. While John was still in school, he picked up several bad habits that were smoking marijuana, drinking, and later methamphetamine. Even though John was still living at home with his parents he didn’t realize how much of an addict he really was. After John met, married, and divorced his wife he later became hooked on cocaine. That’s when John realized he needed help and started going to AA meetings. Now, John has a new wife and 19 year-old college student, he also has 5 years of sobriety under his belt.

Gwen’s childhood was rough, it went from staying with her real father to going to live with her mother and stepfather. While Gwen started school she found it slightly boring, then she went off to college and later dropped out and became a stripper. Gwen went from dancing and making money to going on dates for money; then she was a nanny and later fired for giving out the security code. Then, she got a job at an Atlantic City casino and became pregnant by Paul (the drug dealer). After, Gwen got involved with another abusive man, and later had a daughter named Ebony. Then she got started crack and her life went downhill after that, she started selling drugs at her Truck-Driving School. Finally, Gwen straightened her life up had another son named Darrell. However, she got into a bus accident and got laid off now she and Darrell are the welfare