Impact of Ambiguous Grief on Families and Caregivers Caused by a Loved One’s Addiction
Impact of Ambiguous Grief on Families and Caregivers Caused by a Loved One’s Addiction
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Issue Date
2024-10-31
Authors
Andrade, Yoana
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Abstract
Grief is often associated with death or significant loss, it can also manifest when someone witnesses a person, they care about suffer from addiction, this type of grief, sometimes referred to as "ambiguous grief" occurs when a loved one is physically present but psychologically or emotionally absent due to their addiction (Oswald, 2023). The problem is that this type of grief is often more complex due to societal stigma, guilt, and uncertainty about the circumstances of death (Dyregrov et al., 2020). Families’ traumatic exposure to addiction leads to intense feelings of anger, guilt, depression, ambivalence, and unresolved grief, as well as overwhelming anxiety caused by the enormous responsibility of preventing death (Thatcher, 2023). Worldwide, alcohol is the seventh risk factor for ill health, both in terms of mortality and disability for years (Gual & Drummond, 2022). The rate of comorbidity among individuals with mental and addictive disorders provided clear evidence that mental disorders have an impact on the psychopathology of substance dependence like alcohol addiction (Salazar-Guerra et al., 2020). All forms of trauma are characterized by losses, such as the loss of safety, loss of sense of self, loss of hope, loss of relationship, loss of a loved-one, etc. (Giacomucci, 2020). Ambiguous loss can occur when one's sibling abuses substances, as the sibling may be physically present yet be psychologically absent in terms of the co-sibling (and the family). The intangible grief that can occur while a person who is addicted is still present requires further examination (Sampson et al., 2023). Mental health professionals need to be aware of the devastating impact of addiction problems on all family members to validate their experiences and support them in recovering from trauma and loss in the family (Missouridou, 2023). Those who grow up with a dysfunctional individual who 5 is addicted to substance experience two layers of loss; the loss of childhood, and the loss of letting go of the idealized or fantasy image of a caring loved one (Bekesi & Kassai, 2024).
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Keywords
Addiction, Family, Support, Mental Health