Relationships Are Affected By Drugs

                       By Driton Berisha

A scene from Beautiful Boy

    Stories like the movie Beautiful Boy can be severely gut wrenching. The movie is based on the real life events of Nic Sheff. Nic, played by Timothee Chalamet, is a teenager who becomes addicted to methamphetamines. However, the story is not all about Nic. His father David Sheff, played by Steve Carell, spends a lot of time trying to figure out many questions. Why is his son addicted to meth? What could he have done differently? Did he fail as a father?

    A common misconception about addicts is that they are the only ones being affected by their poor habits. This could not be any more wrong. Relationships between families are heavily strained by drug use. By making the conscious choice to keep your addict loved one around, there are many hardships to go through. You deal with constant lying and manipulation, which directly leads to trust issues, financial problems, and constant fighting.

    Trusting your loved one who is addicted to drugs can be a tiring task. Honestly, it can even be considered a chore. You shouldn't have to constantly worry about where someone is going or what they're doing, especially if they are at an age where they can take care of themselves. This leads to these thoughts of self doubt that Nic's father feels in the movie. According to the Addiction Center, Sometimes, when the family member abusing substances shows responsibly in changing like being involved in an intervention, or attending treatment, trust can begin to grow. It is completely possible to regain trust.

    Who would've thought. You're not buying drugs, but somehow your money is still ending up in a drug dealers pocket. Whether it be from manipulation or flat out robbery, an addict will find a way to pay for their fix. Financially funding their addiction is very important to addicts and in most cases they prioritize     this over actually rebuilding relationships.

Nic Sheff steals money from younger brother

    You stopped believing the lies. You stopped funding their drug habits. What's next? Addiction rewires your brain and makes you into an entirely different person. Addicts tend to become aggressive when they are not getting their way. They might not even be on drugs, but this new person becomes a lengthy process to get rid of. The type of drug they are on is usually prevalent in their aggression. According to the National Library of Medicine,  although research has consistently found increased violence risk in drug use disorders, individual studies have shown that the magnitude of this increased risk varies depending on the drug category.

    You could say that hard times like this strengthen familial bonds. By the end of the journey, these times can make you appreciate what you have. However, that's not always the case. Addiction is not a battle that is easily won and getting over it just isn't that simple. Outcomes like homelessness and death are very common for addicts. How can your bond become stronger is your loved one is no longer around?

    Addiction is a losing battle that many people around the world deal with. You are not only losing yourself, but you are losing the hope from the people around you who love you the most. With traits like trust issues, financial problems, and constant fighting it is hard to even want to rework your relationship with an addict.