Drug use disorder and family politics evolution: How can Chinese PWUD families quit drugs?

Family plays an essential role in drug-related behavior. Based on a case study of the Lin family, whose members have all taken drugs for almost 20 years but have now completed community rehabilitation, in this study, we attempted to reveal the specific operating mechanisms of the family during the process of rehabilitation. In the analysis process, we divided the drug-use history of this family into three stages from a diachronic dimension: promote-disorder-control; we used family politics as the theoretical framework. During the drug-use promotion stage (1990-1999), all members began to use drugs. During the disorder stage (2000-2017), the Lin family members consistently relapsed intermittently due to the brutal effects of social forces and the lack of family order. Finally, in the control stage (2018-2021), the Lin family established a new family order and completed rehabilitation. The establishment process produced changes in the family politics structure, including a shift in the center of power and the decision-making patterns. Additionally, we found that the interweaving of love and power was another key trait of family politics, embodied in behavior regulation, resource sharing, and maintaining dignity among members, which further consolidated the establishment of the new family order. The results of our analysis of endogenous family change both enrich the abstract concept of family support in addiction recovery and present the potential a family has in recovery.