The first question that you should ask yourself is what role does family play in addiction? There are many ways in which your family can have an impact on your addiction. One way of putting this issue to the test is by asking how they feel about drug and alcohol use. When a family member of yours is using, is there a feeling of disapproval or of approval? If it is disapproval, then you have found a very influential role. Your family will usually be more supportive if it is clear that they are doing it as a matter of personal choice than if it is clear that you are using because of peer pressure.
In addition to family, the other important place where family has an impact is when a friend or a family member is in an addiction. You might be surprised at the way your family reacts. Most people have a tendency to want their children to be accepted into the group. When this is not happening, the result is usually family dysfunction, which then results in the addiction. Your family may not be fully supportive of the drug or alcohol use, but they may be able to help with the problem in some other way.
Another place where the family plays an important role is in recovery. Family support is an extremely important part of the healing process when someone uses drugs and alcohol. Sometimes, the family will actually try to get the addict out of treatment because they fear the impact of admitting that they have a problem. But if the family realizes that the addict is doing it for himself and not for the sake of the family, they will be more supportive of the treatment process.