Chemical Dependency and the Dysfunctional Family

Although these two families have very different problems, both are dysfunctional, meaning that the problems are so overwhelming that the families cannot function properly. Both families also involve drug or alcohol abuse, which is not at all unusual in dysfunctional families.

In fact, dysfunctional families and chemical dependency often go hand in hand. Sometimes, chemical dependency causes a family to become dysfunctional. For example, Mrs. Rand's alcoholism has contributed to problems such as divorce, neglect, and, finally, Shaneen's own alcohol abuse.

In other cases, living in a dysfunctional family leads to chemical dependency. Ray uses cocaine to deal with his feelings of anger toward his parents. In this case, the chemical dependency is not the cause of the family's dysfunction, but a result of it.