The master's thesis focuses on the experience of family life among family members of individuals addicted to alcohol. The aim was to examine how these family members experienced living alongside a person addicted to alcohol, the challenges they faced, the types of help and support they have received, and the assistance they would wish for. To collect this data, we conducted interviews with family members of individuals struggling with alcohol addiction. The interviewees identified various factors contributing to the development of addiction, such as addiction within the family of origin, difficult life circumstances, psychological factors, and poor family environments. They recognized signs of addiction in their family members, such as excessive drinking at social events, social isolation, avoidance of conversation, irritability, daily alcohol consumption, and signs of depression. All interviewees reported that their relationship with the addicted family member changed or deteriorated after the onset of alcohol addiction. Domestic violence was also present in the families of the interviewees, most often psychological, and in some cases, physical. While living with an addicted family member, the interviewees experienced a range of emotions and feelings such as loneliness, discomfort, shame, and fear. They faced several challenges, such as changes in family roles, financial crises, stigmatization by neighbours and others, and a lack of support from close ones. The help they received mainly came from friends, the police, close family members, the Abstinent Association, and similar sources. They expressed a wish for support services for family members of individuals addicted to alcohol to be provided at home or online, delivered by an empathetic person with experience in the field of alcohol addiction.
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