Parental Addiction Research Paper

This includes 14% children younger than 2, 12% aged between 6 and 11 years old and 10% youth between 12 and 17 years old. These unhealthy addictions of parents definitely imposes a large impact on their children as the parents are supposed to be the role models for their kids. Futhermore, children who grow up with parents who have unhealthy addictions are more likely to follow the habits of their parents sooner or later. These type of parents also usually neglect their children. The children who grow up with such parents do not get sufficient love and attention from them.

Addiction is a theme that has been present throughout my life through members of my family and myself. My father was addicted to gambling and alcohol until finally, his drinking ended his life. My brother struggles with alcohol and keeping ahead of his problematic drinking. I have several cousins that float between alcohol and drugs to fulfill the need for an outside substance. For many years, I pondered how I had escaped the addiction curse in my family only to realize that my addiction is food. I overeat and self-sooth through food even though I have health concerns and know a better way. I spent most of my young adulthood angry at my father because he could not or would not change for his family. I am understanding more through education

Nothing makes a child grow up faster than having a parent who is addicted to drugs. A child of an addicted parent has no choice but to act as an adult. These children are often left alone and when they aren’t alone, their addicted parent is usually passed out in a drug induced stupor; leaving the child to fend for themselves and/or their siblings. Does having a drug addicted parent have an effect on a child’s emotional development? If so, does this form of abuse that is recognized in the category of neglect have a long lasting effect on the child into adulthood?

Although all sorts of families can be devastated by addiction, but single parent units (the most common lower class structure) are the most obscured. Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches supports, “In every family unit, each person plays a role (or multiple roles) to help the family function better and to maintain a level of homeostasis, stability and balance. When substance abuse is added to this dynamic, the family roles naturally shift to adjust to the new behaviors associated with drug or alcohol use, and to continue maintaining order and balance.”4 In single parent units there is an inability of a second parent to fill the void role of the addicted parent. The National Center for Biotechnology Information states, “Frequently, children may act as surrogate spouses for the parent who abuses substances. For example, [young] children may develop elaborate systems of denial to protect themselves against that reality of the parent’s addiction. Because that option does not exist in a single‐parent household with a parent who abuses substances, children are likely to behave in a manner that is not age‐appropriate to compensate for the parental deficiency.”2 So a child growing up in a compromised family unit where addiction is present may develop altered norms and mature into an addict themselves.4

Not only can children be put in drug use situations but so can parents. When parents struggle to maintain a stable household or income and employment it may expand stress on the family and its powerlessness, pushing negligible people to discover answers or comfort in illegal drugs. In general, addiction and use of

The “Who suffers from addiction Part 1” by Narconon.org states that there are diverse reasons that people become an addict. Whether it be prescribed opiates, heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines or even marijuana. There is one common component that is very apparent everyone is affected, from the individual to their families and communities. The addictions, will erode a parent’s ability to care for their children, because they get so consumed with their addiction. They begin to only get more and more distant from their children, sometimes even going to jail or rehabilitation. Unfortunately, the child will be the first to suffer. The child will be passed to the parent that is sober or other family members or the state will have to find a foster home to provide for the child’s daily needs. This is a traumatic issue which could cause the child to reach for drugs so that they too may numb their pain (Narconon.org, n.d.)

Growing up in the household under substances influence can cause severe damage to the child. Parental substance abuse has a significant impact on family function, and it may also contribute to child maltreatment. It heightens the risks to both of the physical and emotional safety of the children, and it generates children’s problematic outcomes. Children who grow up in such families may also experience mental health issues, social isolation, financial difficulties, and exposure to stressful life events and so on.

This is how? Families in the States of America are viewed as the basic source of strength, providing nurturance as well as the support for its individual members while ensuring stability and generational continuity for the community versus its culture. The sense of rapid social, economic and political change turns to affect the family and reduces their sense of the relationship between people, groups, and even places. According to research, stability of relationships, expectations, as well as the environment which is a very powerful force that helps people to manage their lives, most especially the young adults and the children. Having said that, classical issues of balancing discipline and control of children with the support, which encourages them to explore and understand the world may be complicated by abusing the use of alcohol and drugs as well as a wide range of other conditions (unodc.org). In other words, family experience with and parental attitudes towards alcohol and other drug use affect a child’s likelihood of developing alcohol and other drug problems. Also, the act of poor management, lack of family bonding, poor monitoring of a child’s behavior and that of physical abuse and or neglect are possible risk factors that allowed or give room for

All of these environmental factors also influence adolescent prevalence of substance use disorder. In terms of parental substance abuse, Abu-Shakra and Cox (2014), mention that paternal substance abuse does influence the risk of externalizing behaviours and substance abuse disorders. The authors also mention that “maternal depression increases a child’s risk of depression and increases risk for drug abuse. (Tartter, Mammen, & Brennan, 2014 cited in Abu-Shakra & Cox, 2014). It is also the case that “only maternal substance use consequences were consistently related to adolescent psychopathology” (Ohannessian et al., 2004). That is to say, Ohannessian et al., (2004) suggests that maternal substance use was more indicative of an effect on the adolescents’ psychopathology. In other words, similar to what Abu-Shakra and Cox (2014) are saying, negative parental factors influence the

Drugs and alcohol have been used for medical and recreational purposes throughout history. With advancement of technology it has become easier and easier to access these substances. It is not only illegal drugs but prescription drugs that are being misused and wreaking havoc across the world. Even with billions of dollars being paid out to stop the war on drugs, the problem persists. People from all walks of life have been affected by drugs or are becoming drug addicts themselves. One particular group afflicted by the misuse of these substances is the children of drug addicted parents. According to Cattapan and Grimwade, “Drug use seen in one generation affects the lives of the next”. Children with one or both parents on drugs face huge

An estimated twenty five percent of youth under eighteen are exposed to familial alcohol abuse (Bellum). The Illinois Department of Human Services says that nearly six hundred seventy five thousand children per year suffer serious abuse or neglect as a direct result of substance abuse (‘Children”). What makes this a big problem in society?

Parental substance abuse impacts a child’s psychological development. According to Livestrong.com “When a child is raised in an environment with substance abuse his or her risk for developing a mental health disorder increases.” (Butler). A serious element of psychological disorders that develop from a parent who abuses drug is severe anxiety disorders or depression. These afflictions in itself are enough to deter even the strongest adult from living a normal life. Depression and anxiety cause a child to withdraw from their friends or siblings, making them feel alone and suffer from suicidal thoughts. Anxiety disorders stemming from parental substance abuse also lead to learning disabilities, causing children to work below their potential. This creates a potentially negative environment for a child, causing them to behave inappropriately which leads to disciplinary actions by the school. One other psychological disorder that stems from parental substance abuse is eating disorders. This comes from the low self-esteem a child suffers and in an attempt to be perfect; a child is willing to bring physical harm to themselves or their bodies. I have seen this to be the greatest side effect of my ex-husband’s drug abuse upon our children. My two boys suffer from depression and anxiety at varying levels. My oldest son has been diagnosed with ulcers from constantly worrying about his father’s sobriety.

Drug addiction is a serious issue in not only America today, but globally. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance addiction is a “chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite the harmful consequences” (“What is drug addiction?”). Drug abuse affects not only the user, but those around the user as well. The actions of a drug user place a significant amount of worry on the people that are closest to them such as friends and family. Children with parents who are addicted to drugs or alcohol can be severely affected by the actions of their parents which can cause them much harm in terms of biological and

Parents using drugs tend to forget about the needs of their children. These needs do not have to be physical; children can be emotionally deprived as well. Not getting the love a child needs could result in lowered self-esteem and confidence, or possibly depression. Children's emotions are very strong and easily hurt, therefore resulting in the child assuming parents do not care for them, or even worse, not love them. Children suffering neglect from their parents will not be able to understand how a caring parent acts. Parents neglecting their children lose touch in communication, which results in a loss of communication skills for the child. Not learning proper communication skills at an early age can effect children for the rest of their life. They will not know how to talk to their parents, they will not know how to talk to their friends and teachers, and they will certainly not know how to talk to their own children. Neglected

Sometimes that I learned about the article was, that some drug addict can be very harmful to children. Some kids are even scared to be around their own parents because of their drug addiction. It also talks about how kids are even afraid that their own schoolmates find out that their parents are drug addicts. Also, many drug addiction care about their families, but need or have the urge to feed their addiction so it seems that they don’t care but in reality they do. " Substance misuse may be one of a series of inter-related factors within a family, such as poverty or depression, so that disentangling exactly what causes poor outcomes for the child can be difficult,"(Hart 9 ). In other words, children do not really understand why their