Counselling: People suffering from addictions who are receiving counselling have a 60 per cent better chance of recovery if their family also enters recovery mode and addresses underlying problems, according to an expert family counsellor.
Toni Duncan, an addiction counsellor and family programme co-ordinator in Tabor Lodge, Co Cork, said people affected by addiction needed to cease "enabling" an addiction by providing money, cover-up stories and solutions to every crisis.
During Cork Drug Awareness Week last week, Ms Duncan said that families should resolve to implement a policy of "tough love" and allow an unavoidable crisis to occur.
"Often, however, instead of letting the crisis happen which might lead to the recovery stages, families hold back because of the shame factor and because they might in some way feel that they themselves are to blame for their loved one's behaviour," said Ms Duncan.
Continued "enabling", however, causes extreme stress, anxiety and loss of self-confidence within affected families, and often leads to the addict becoming the focus of all worries and concerns.
Affected family members eventually become addicted to the addict, according to Ms Duncan, who has dealt with affected families for over 10 years.
Added to this, she said that abnormal behaviour becomes perceived as normal, and relationships shift from love to hate on a frenzied basis.
The "shame" of seeing the family name in the local newspaper or having the gardaí call to the family house propels people to keep their difficulties private, despite the fact that they are dealing with a very public illness, according to Ms Duncan.
"You don't need someone to be in treatment to help yourself and others.
"Often families aren't aware of the services and programmes available to them that will offer support and advice," she said.
Undertaking a family support programme will often help families begin a "zero tolerance on bad behaviour" and encourage them to put the onus on the addict to address their addiction problem.
As part of Cork Drug Awareness Week, which aimed to increase awareness and signpost information to communities, families and professionals, Ms Duncan introduced eight people who discussed the merits of undertaking the group family programme.
The structure of the programme invites partners, children, parents and friends affected by an addiction to attend four Wednesday afternoon sessions, followed by a 12-week evening programme, before availing of a 12-month after-care support programme.
"All addiction problems differ depending on who is suffering from the addiction," Ms Duncan said.
"In the case of a mother, who is very often addicted to alcohol or prescribed medicine, or indeed both, the eldest child often inherits the adult role, while another child in the family might start acting out," she said.
"Often then there is the child who is very good and very successful and people don't worry so much about them, but that child will often bring difficulties into their adult relationships because they haven't dealt with the issues . . . and have no sense of self."
The keynote speaker during the awareness week, Dr Joe Barry, public health lecturer and medical adviser to the National Drugs Strategy Team, said community mobilisation was key to addressing Ireland's drink culture.
Dr Barry suggested that changes in the way in which off-licences are operated and the provision of a traceability system might be of benefit. However, he said that changes could only occur if the public wanted and asked for change.