Abusive Men and Addiction

I chose to write about Chapter 8, not as a requirement but rather because the subject of addiction is very near and dear to me. I was born prematurely because of addiction, grew up in an addiction household and now suffer the long lasting affects of what abuse did to me and my family. While those who were addicted to substances in my family were hardly ever physically violent (I can recall one instance to mind) there are definately lasting mental and emotional scars from growing up in a household that was dysfunctional because of substance abuse. Bancroft in his book states that abuse and violence are two separate problems. An abuser is not abusive because he is an addict and an addict is not an addict because he is an abuser. I agree. However I do think that an abusive mentality coupled with an addiction problem can lead to more intense abuse.

The following video is from a user on youtube who believes that his neighbors must use drugs as they tend to fly into fits of rage. It is a testament to the common misconception that drugs and alcohol are related.

Journal Article: The following link is to a journal article entitled "When is Domestic Violence A Hidden Face of Addiction?" by Irons and Schneider. It explores the commonalities between domestic violence and addiction. http://www.jenniferschneider.com/articles/domestic.html

I chose the picture below more for personal reasons than anything else. When I was the age of the girl in the picture I did not understand why my life was the way it was. In fact I did not fully understand my upbringing until I was in high school and reading Bancroft's chapter on addiction I have learned even more. As I have gone through the process of recovery and coming to terms with my upbringing, I have often felt as the little girl in the image looks--albeit I am a little older physically...

National Substance Abuse Index: This website provides tons of information and resources about substance abuse. It is for both users and those affected by users. http://nationalsubstanceabuseindex.org/

imdrugfree.com: Remember red ribbon week? This site provides information and resources for red ribbon week including activities and links for red ribbons. There is even a certificate template for kids who commit to be drug free.