Image: medschool.vanderbilt.edu
As co-director of the neuroscience program in substance abuse at Vanderbilt University, Dr. Aurelio Galli leads both student academic programs and community outreach initiatives. Through the latter, Dr. Aurelio Galli contributes to public education on the dangers of drug misuse.
When an individual abuses drugs, that behavior affects not only the user but also his or her family. Everyday operations of the household may become inconsistent, and children do not receive the boundaries and limits that they need to feel safe. Erratic behavior on the part of parents can cause frequent arguments and can damage the parent-child relationship, as the child learns to either fear or dismiss the person with the addiction.
Such emotional conflicts are likely to be present in other familial relationships as well. Individuals with addiction may demean, manipulate, or verbally abuse a partner or a parent as well as a child. The financial effects of addiction cause strife in partnerships as well as in the family as a whole, as the addicted person uses family resources to fuel the addiction.
Addiction also affects family members outside of the immediate household. It can call up a range of feelings, including guilt, anger, and embarrassment, which may cause the extended family to want to cut out the person in question. This is particularly dangerous when the addicted person is an older adult who depends on grown children for caretaking, as cut ties can lead to a downturn in the person’s health.
Aurelio Galli 
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