Ep16: Special 2 Part Series: ADDICTION, DIVORCE & RECOVERY: IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR. Part 1: Blended Families: Interview with Ron Deal

Truth Serum is happy to present a Special Two Part Series entitled: ADDICTION, DIVORCE & RECOVERY:  IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR.

Legal Templates which offers legal forms, including divorce and separation documents, published a report on July 29, 2020 with ongoing statistics about the impact of the pandemic on the family.

• The report found that C-19 lockdowns began to destroy marriages quickly. The sale of divorce and separation agreement sales peaked 3 weeks into the quarantine, increasing 57% over the prior two months.
• Newlyweds were hit the hardest.
• The rate of divorce rates with couples with children (which usually is much lower) increased by over 5%.

The news on addiction and mental health was also alarming.

A study by Frontiers in Psychiatry Published online on April 16, 2021 found that:

As of May 2020, 39% of Americans lost their jobs or had their work hours curtailed due to the pandemic. The stress of financial uncertainty along with an increase in free time and the absence of employment repercussions  lead to significant increased drug use. The CDC estimated a record number of US drug-related deaths in 2020.

While the medical impact of the pandemic is lessening, addiction mental health problems and suicides continue to skyrocket while divorces continues to disrupt families, with the most traumatic  impact on younger children. A sub species of this problem is the fentanyl and opioid epidemic that is skyrocketing in this county, tearing at the roots of our culture.  

In the first episode of this Two Part Series, we examine the impact of divorce on the individual, the family and the country as a whole, and we explore the concept of blended family relationships.

In the second episode we will explore addiction and why just getting clean or sober may only be part of the solution. I will be interviewing noted podcast host Andrea Ashely whose podcast Adult Child explores why family trauma and dysfunction can impact addicts well after sobriety is obtained, and how dealing with the root family issues is a necessary component of recovery for many addicts.

Socially and physically, the impact of divorce can be equally devastating: A recent study published by Brianna Thomas in 2020 examined the effects of divorce on children. She found that the impact of a divorce on young children is now clinically defined as “toxic stress," or stress on a younger child over a prolonged period of time. This often translates to lower learning skills, increased behavioral problems, and heightened injuries resulting from teen pregnancy and sex trafficking. These results are not eliminated but are vastly mitigated in a two parent household. 

This is likely no surprise to most of my listeners. You have likely had to cope or interact directly with divorce or with children or grandchildren who have been greatly impacted by divorce.

Many people who divorce remarry. To further complicate things, many who remarry also bring children, resulting in what has come to be known as a Blended Family. What particular challenges face Blended Families and what can they do to up the odds that their marriage won’t fail?

Join me in Part one of this two part series, as I interview Ron Deal. Ron is the Director of Family Life Blended and a best-selling author. We discuss how a Blended Family can become a mended family and the challenges in making this happen.

Disclaimer: None of the legal, or financial opinions or information expressed in this podcast may be relied on as legal, or investment