Although addiction is an isolating disease for the addict, it affects everyone close to them as well. Addiction becomes a disease of the family unit as it progresses, harming everyone in its path. We can better understand how addiction harms families if we picture the addict as a person stuck in quicksand. They are being pulled down by their disease and they can’t find a way out. Family members who try to help them are often caught by the quicksand too, and soon find themselves sinking down with their loved one. Families need a lifeline of help to pull them out and to give everyone some stable footing again!
