Finding out that someone is addicted can come as a shock to many friends and relatives. But if the addiction has gripped your partner, teenage child, or someone you live with, you may also be wondering if there are any dangers the addict could bring to yourself and your loved ones.
in the How to spot a dangerous man“An Addict,” a self-help book for women who tend to be attracted to abusive men, is portrayed as one of eight types of dangerous man.
Alcohol and drug addicts, as well as those dependent on a range of behavioral addictions, including sex addiction, food addiction, problem gambling, and even achievement, appreciation, thrill and religion, are listed as dangerous men.
In addition, many of the other categories of dangerous men overlap with the addict, including the mentally ill man, the abusive or violent man, and the emotionally unavailable man. Although this book is about dangerous men and statistically more men than women are identified as addicts, women and children can of course develop addictions and be dangerous.
Certain behaviors make addicts dangerous
While addiction doesn’t automatically make you dangerous, there are a number of ways that other people can be dangerous. Whether or not an addict is dangerous depends on many factors including the severity of the addiction, the effects of the drug or the behavior itself, their underlying mental and physical health, their circumstances, and whether they perceive threats to themselves or their access to their addiction to substance or behavior.
When people ask if addicts are dangerous, they are usually concerned about the threat of violence. Overall, people with addiction are at greater risk of violence, especially when dealing with psychoactive substances that reduce impulse control, impair judgment, and lead to the person losing control of reality.
Alcohol, meth, and cocaine are among the riskiest substances. Children, the elderly and people with disabilities are particularly at risk of violence and abuse. Vulnerable people should never be placed in the care of someone under the influence of these substances.
Other dangers include the risk of theft – from stealing cash and possessions, emptying your bank account to cover the cost of drugs, gambling, and even shopping addiction, to sexual abuse more commonly committed by people under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or by sex addicts.
You or your loved ones could also be traumatized by harming yourself, finding the addict sick or unconscious from an overdose, or being harassed by debtors or drug dealers.
While trust is important in relationships, secrecy and lying are common among addicts. So be careful if you are unsure of what their addiction means. Rebuilding trust takes time and effort, and the first step is for the addict to realize that they have a problem and need help.
If you are unable or unwilling to undergo treatment, it is important to set boundaries to protect yourself and your loved ones.
