Family Responsibility for the Formation of a Person's Personality - Essay Example

BRITTNEY Man is a social animal and the product of society. He is born in one of the most important s of society and all his needs and requirements are fulfilled by living in society. Family is the primary unit of all societies from the most primitive clans and tribes to the most modern contemporary nuclear age. It is family that is most responsible for the personality build-up of an individual. An individual is the reflection of the education and training of his parents. The nurture theory strongly lays stress on the proper look after of a budding child, as he is the future of the society. Social psychologists and criminologist explain parenting the source of grooming an individual who has no knowledge of good or bad at all. It has aptly been said that man is frail by nature. He undergoes countless rejoicing as well as gruesome moments in life. Happiness drives his instinct towards getting indulged in revelries and celebrations. In the same way, one seeks escape in intoxication in state of misery and depression. In order to forget troubles and avoid tensions, though for the time being, people use alcohol and get support of chemicals. So many domestic, emotional and financial crises drag man towards the consumption of drugs and liquor, which is awfully damaging for man’s mental and physical health. Substance enslavement serves like slow poisoning and leaves man in a precarious situation of uncertainty and weakness. Craving for the use of chemicals not only haunts both the young and the old, but also teen-age children fall victim to the chemical consumption too. Doweiko (2006) has also discussed the problem in the twenty-third chapter of his famous book “Concepts of Chemical Dependency”. He has analyzed the problem among the adolescents and suggested the therapy for the cure. Modern civilization and technological advancement are also responsible for the drug addiction among children. Doweiko also assesses the drug addiction in this scenario. According to him, child abuse is one of the most significant causes of chemical codependency among adolescents. Further, decline in family relationship has also paved the way in this direction. As family is the basic unit of a society and plays primary role in nourishment and socialization of young generation. Decline in family bondage and giving up of observing ethical values and moral obligations result in the deterioration of the youth of society. The same is the case with young Brittney. Brittney, a young girl of fourteen years only, had been very bright and graceful student at school. It was surprising for the whole family when she was recommended by her teacher, to a rehabilitation program after being found the drug- user. She was referred to the Alateen, the rehabilitation institute that deals with the cure of adolescents consuming alcohol and other intoxication. It is the platform that offers the young fellows to give vent to their ideas and relate as well as share their life experiences that help the therapist getting acquainted with the original cause that led the children towards intoxication and use of drugs and chemical substance. During the therapy, Brittney disclosed the very fact that she started consuming alcohol after the death of her father. It so happened that her mother got too much involved in running the family business and her siblings also accompanied their mother during the course. Brittney felt extremely lonely and looked for something that could relieve her tensions and loneliness. Thus, she tried to drown herself in the thick stream of liquor and adopted the way of perversion out of her loneliness. She felt no fear or hesitation due to the fact that she had witnessed her late father and brother drinking. Also, she had to become prey to the criminal assaults of both of the family members in intoxication. In addition, she had observed her mother taking liquor time and again. She misconcepted it a source of relief, therefore she also adopted the same patterns as she observed majority of her family. “The effects of drug use not only on drug users themselves”, observes Marina Barnard, “but also the feelings of anger, sadness, anxiety, shame and loss that are commonly experienced by their extended family.” Children are the most innocent stratum of society. They try to imitate the footprints of their elders and mould the structure of their life as they observe the senior members of family. Drug addicted families have to bear social and emotional costs. They not only lose physical and mental health, but also are deprived of the recognition of respect for the honor and prestige of family and its members, as the father and brother of the young addict tried to commit incest during intoxication. They forgot altogether how worse effects their act could leave on the innocent mind of the small girl who was their blood relation and honor of the family too. The effects of drug use on family dynamics and relationships are really horrible that may cost the solidarity of the whole society. A large preponderance of the addicts longs for leaving the curse of drug addiction, though it becomes very hard for them to refrain from this awful habit. Drug consumption tells upon reputation, honor, prestige and respect of the family. Not only people are deprived of physical fitness and substantial power, but also there are chances of drop out of financial stability too. The trend of chemical support is seriously spreading its ugliness in young community. If parenting is strong enough to offer the child emotional support, he can be come out of the nausea. Otherwise, professional help and medical therapy are required to save them from the curse of addiction. The advancement in technology offers variety of treatment plans that give complete and swift rehabilitation to the patients. For this purpose many governmental and non-governmental organizations are working. Psychiatrists and counselors are especially trained and appointed to provide services to the patients. The role of family and parents is the most significant one in this respect. They must provide the complete case history of the child addict and give the details of the chronicle of events leading him towards the path of substance abuse. It may help the counselor while offering complete counseling services and psychoanalysis of the patient to protect it from mental and physical disorder. Among the ethical obligations and moral duties of the counselor include that he must pay due heed to the patient, and never display such a behavior that can create feelings of shame and humiliation in his mind. Further, a counselor should analyze the situation in which the patient uses drug and seeks emotional support. The counselor must ask the members of the patient’s family to reveal each and every thing regarding the mental situation and habits of the patient. A child usually involves in addiction, which belongs to the broken family, or a family who is either contains addict members or obtains criminal background. The counselor can guide the child on the basis of morality. Many theories have been articulated and schemes have been devised regarding detoxification and comprehensive treatment. In Brittney’s case, the counselor applied group therapy that healed the girl to return to her normal health and routine work. Brittney’s case is highly precarious one. She had been brilliant student and paid attention to her studies. In the life of her father, she must have been attended properly by the family. Therefore, she remembered her deceased father. Somehow, his sexual advances during intoxication badly told upon her delicate nerves, which is hard for her to forget. Further, the parents must be aware of the company as well as the activities of the children so that any untoward event could be avoided. The education and training of the young ones is one of the most critical procedures and demands unabated, unconditional and comprehensive attention from family, friends, peer group, teachers, tutors and society. The therapist must be careful of the case because the girl had to suffer an extremely uneven condition when her own father who should have been source of constant relief, affection and protection. In the same way, her brother also proved himself completely lost while taking alcohol and followed the same patterns as committed by his father. Thus, it is fact beyond doubt that substance consumption and drug usage completely damages man’s mental health and causes grievances, humiliation and hatred for him in society. REFERENCES Bell, D.C, Montoya, I.D & Atkinson J.S. (1997) Protecting Oneself from Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Are Prevention Messages Being Heard? The University of Chicago Press. Barnard, Marina, 2006. Drug Addiction and Families. Paperback, ISBN-10 Doweiko, Harold E. (2006). Concepts of Chemical Dependency Wadsworth Pub Co. ISBN: 053463284X Larson, Mildred L. 1982. Translation and structure semantics. Philological studies. Read More