The Defining Roles Of Families In Addiction

When it has been determined that a family member or child is an addict and steps have been taken to get them help, often times families inadvertently take on roles that they unwittingly play as they take part in the drama that is part of dealing with an addicted individual. If you're a family dealing with addicted individual you may have taken on one of these roles yourself or perhaps have noticed others in your family. Being able to clearly identify if you or another relative is playing these roles can help you pinpoint issues that you as a family can rectifty so that the recovery or your loved and their transition back into a drug or alcohol free life is a positive one.

First and foremost there is the Addict -- The person with the addiction at the center of this cast of characters and surprisingly not always the key to family recovery. This person is the center of attention and as the starting point for all the other roles to come into play.

The Hero -- The hero is the one who desperately needs to put everything in a positive light by ignoring problem. The Hero is the perfectionist. If they overcome this role they can play an very important part in the addiction recovery process.

The Mascot -- This role is also defined as the joker or jester. This is the one making jokes that are not entirely conducive to recovery. While humor is an important part of dealing with recovery, harmful humor isn't so the key here is to be mindful of what you say rather than make hurtful jokes that could actually hinder addiction recovery. 

 The Lost Child -- Silent, "not present" this character makes an effort not to even acknowledge recovery. Their key function seems to be in their mind not to make problems. If all that effort to deny and not be vocal could be converted into someone who can share positive thoughts and be more present the lost child can effectively no longer be lost.

The Scapegoat -- Acting out in front of others they sometimes act as a diversion from the addict through their own behavior. The problem here is by doing so the family loses focus on the situation at hand. This individual would be better suited to be less of a diversion and more of an inspiration.

Lastly The Caretaker (Enabler) -- Without this role none of the other roles are possible. They  do everything they can to keep everyone happy and the family in balance -- everything except confronting the issue of the addicted family member. They make excuses for all behaviors and actions, and never mention addiction recovery or getting help and often presents a situation without problems to outsiders. This is the person who most needs to be aware of their role and find ways and assistance in not becoming or continuing to be the enabler.

Understanding Your Role In Family Recovery

A better understanding of all the aspects of recovery including the family dynamic is what will make the greatest difference in any recovery and being able to identify these roles is just one of those methods of understanding. Recovery is a challenging process and we here at Mark Houston Recovery understand and appreciate what a family must go through. As such we are dedicated to doing all we can to help guide you through the recovery process as we help our residents on the road to recovery.