Scholar Practitioner Project Part 3

Introduction:

Doweiko (2019) defined codependency as "an unhealthy relationship in which a person who is closely involved with an alcoholic or addicted person is closely involved with the individual and acts in such a way as to allow the addict to continue the addicted behavior." Sharma (2016) explained that evidence-based demonstrates that children in drug abuse-afflicted families become the first causality in multiple ways. Being the loved one of a person with an alcohol or other drug problem can be excruciating. People experience profound helplessness, frustration, anger, and fear. When a family member suffers from addiction, the problem always impacts the entire household, creating a dysfunction that frequently follows a cycle. Family members react to the individual suffering from addiction in various ways and use multiple coping techniques; hence, their reactive behaviors impact the addict's behavior (Stenzel, 2018, p. 77). Besides, family dysfunction in an addicted household typically manifests differently depending on the family dynamic. The following is a step-by-step explanation of the unhealthy family roles exhibited by Marge's family, their impacts on Marge and her family, and possible solutions.

Unhealthy Family Roles Exhibited by Ken:

Ken, Marge's husband, exhibits several unhealthy family roles, blames many of the family's dysfunctional issues on himself, and is willing to do anything it takes to protect them by lying and concealing the addiction problem. Ken frequently assumes the caretaker role in the family. He covers Marge's addiction issues to keep the rest of the family content. Ken spends much of his time constantly pursuing new achievements, sacrificing his time and health to pay bills, and his children hardly ever get to see their father. He is willing to make extreme personal sacrifices to prove his love and worthiness. A relationship built on guilt exemplifying the "Hero" position. By shielding his family from their financial obligations. He enabled Marge by always making excuses on her behalf and encouraging her to be merry with alcohol. For example, he lies to people that Marge is sick, calls her job when she is hungover, tells his children their mom is sick and never talks about the drinking problem when his children raise the subject. As a result, Ken experiences high-stress levels, which develop into significant control issues. Ken seeks justification from the interviewer for effectively being away from his family, which causes him to experience severe guilt and shame when he admits to taking on a task he cannot complete and is forced to accept defeat.

By frequently making excuses for Marge's addiction misconduct, Ken assumes the unhealthy "family Scapegoat" position (Hauswirth, 2022 ). Scapegoats are often those with troubles because they draw attention away from other problems within the family and accept blame. Marge's husband may not have chosen this role. However, it still makes him a harmful component of the dynamic in his family since it diverts the family's attention from concentrating on handling Marge's addiction problem. During the interview, Ken also exhibits the unhealthy role of "the lost child." While other family members play their adopted roles in coping with their mother's challenges, Ken hides by working two jobs and struggling with bill pay. The lost child is the silent one who blends in and stays out of sight (Hauswirth, 2022). Ken avoids eye contact and soon stops speaking altogether, effectively dissipating. Marge's husband avoids any confrontations with his wife by retreating into work or other pursuits when she drinks excessive alcohol.

Roles Marge's Children Assumed in Coping with Marge's Addiction

Marge's addiction impacts her whole family members. Carla, their 16-year-old daughter, assumed mom's duties and played the daddy role while Ken was at work and appropriated a great deal of independence. Carla assumes the "hero" role in the family dynamic. According to Hauswirth (2022), the hero takes tremendous responsibility in the family. Carla devotes all her time and attention to caring for her siblings to conceal her parents' mistakes and create a sense of normalcy in the family. Carla prepares her two younger siblings, Roger (12 years old) and Scotty (ten years old), for school. She signed homework, made lunch, and watched out for her siblings. Despite the challenging roles she assumed for her age, she has good grades and participates in many extracurricular activities at school. Her goals are rarely motivated by her autonomous wants and are meant to make up for shortcomings in the family. Being unable to say no, "the hero" focuses on assisting others and frequently struggles to recognize their own actual needs (Hauswirth, 2022).

Marge's children often had to step up in various ways to keep the family together. However, in their attempts to cope with the situation, they adopted several unhealthy roles in their family structure. Rodger acts as the problem child in school and at home. He is seen as the "Mascot," Hauswirth (2022) states that the Mascot attracts attention by acting inappropriately. He engages in some actions that could be harmful and comes under criticism from others to get his parents' attention. Rodger has failing grades and a lot of rage and hostility at school, which could endanger himself and his surroundings. On the other hand, Marge's younger son, Scotty, assumes the role of "lost child" in the family. As the group's comic, Scotty frequently uses comedy or silly antics to try to reduce the stress brought on by his mother's addiction. The lost child is limited, and unidirectional programming prevents him from realizing his full intellectual potential (Hauswirth, 2022).

Unhealthy Family Role and its Impact on Marge and Her Family

Sharma (2016) explained that evidence-based demonstrates that children in drug abuse-afflicted families become the first causality in multiple ways. Also, Hauswirth (2022) asserts that people who struggle with codependency for an extended period may feel withdrawn and depressed and may even consider suicide. They also may become addicted to alcohol, drugs, or other harmful behaviors, such as compulsive or binge eating. Families with drug issues frequently play the unhealthy family role of the Lost Child. While other family members play their own adopted roles in coping with the addict, the lost child is the silent one who blends in and stays out of sight. "The lost child" keeps to himself, effectively disassociating themselves from the rest of the family.

Marge's family has, in many ways, adopted the role of the lost child, especially in their attempts to steer clear of any subject that would bring up Marge's alcoholism. A Lost Child may act in various ways, as did Marge's children when they became frustrated and unhappy with their ability to maintain a sense of normalcy in their family dynamic. For instance, Carla and Ken may identify as "the lost child" when they feel that the rest of the family does not recognize their accomplishments. Sometimes the Lost Child acts as the Scapegoat, eluding the family's notice until they are forced to become involved in a family conflict. However, Lost Child typically avoids conflict. The Lost Child believes it is safer to be unnoticed and unheard in a broken home. Lost Children frequently experience bullying, loneliness, and inadequacy as they grow up. Later, this low self-worth may trigger risky behaviors like self-harm or a propensity to engage in violent relationships (Sharma, 2016).

Ways to Address Unhealthy Family Roles:

The healing process commences when the addicted individual willingly expresses and accepts treatment. A practical method for overcoming dysfunctional family roles involves the whole family in recovery (McCrady & Flanagan, 2021). Evidence-based proves that codependency can only be addressed by attending the appropriate self-help group. Doweiko (2019) claims that codependency is based on traditional 12-step programs. As an addiction professional, I will encourage the family to participate in family counseling and treatment. Hauswirth (2022) states that the therapist should encourage the codependent person to examine their r behaviors to determine if they are codependent.

Self-help groups, including Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) and Nar-Anon, provide checklist-style guidelines for identifying patterns of thought and behaviors that indicate codependency. For example, the CoDA patterns of codependency list include thoughts and behaviors indicative of patterns of denial, low self-esteem, compliance, and control. Creating awareness of the subject is essential since the codependent bases their identity and self-esteem on the well-being of their addicted loved one. They become hypervigilant and controlling (Hauswirth, 2022). Educating members about codependency, tough love, and harm reduction and talking about it will address the subject.

Resources to address Unhealthy Family Roles :