Impact of Substance Abuse on an Addict's Children

Substance abuse is considered one of the most challenging public health issues in America. Whether it's prescription drugs, alcohol or illegal drugs like cocaine, marijuana or heroin, addiction also creates challenges to social issues. Families and individual lives are destroyed by addiction and substance abuse, but many may not truly realize the impact of a parent's substance abuse on children.

While many successful people may have grown up and survived the horrors of being raised in addictive households, many more people don't. Children raised by addict and/or alcoholic parents suffer emotionally and physically. Some children may experience separation from their parents as a result of social services action, abandonment, death, parental incarceration or even divorce. Children may experience physical harm through physical abuse or even physical neglect. Children may blame themselves for their parent's problems or even cover up for their parents shortcomings. Regardless, parental addictive has lifelong impact on children.

Absent some other stabilizing or nurturing family member, children of addicts will experience behavioral, psychiatric, social, medical, educational and emotional issues. Some may ask why? A parent's substance abuse actually interferes with a child's normal social, emotional, and cognitive development.

The parent-child relationship becomes off kilter and roles are often reversed. In some cases, even small children learn to care of even younger siblings. Elementary school children have been known to cook and clean the home, while their parents are either high or hung-over. Toddlers have learned to feed other toddlers and to even change diapers.

A child's interaction in the community will be directly affected by their parents' level of sobriety. The child may present with poor hygiene, poor health or even be teased because of their parents' known behaviors. Some students may opt for truancy rather than face the ridicule from peers or the embarrassment from other adults.

Drug use is illegal and as such, children may have skewed views of right and wrong. Their value system may evolve into a caught versus uncaught or greater to lesser evil philosophy. Stealing, food, money or property, may be a means of survival. In more extreme and sad situations, prostitution and gang involvement may be a means of obtaining needed funds or sense of belonging.

While an addict parent may not perceive or appreciate the terrible strain their substance abuse has on their children, other adults should be aware and take action. If substance abuse is suspected in a family, members should intervene. During a family meeting, grandparents, aunts, uncles and even cousins should consider what is best for the children and develop a safety and family plan. If the community is aware, church members and leaders should try to offer support for safe havens. In other cases, the local department of social services needs to be contacted so that services can be offered that will help either stabilize the family or place the children in a safer more nurturing environment.

Financial hardships, mental health issues and even personal frustrations can lead a person to abuse drugs; however for parents with children, addiction hurts more than the individual. It hurts the entire family. Parents should realize that their substance abuse can destroy their children. Seeking help to battle addiction is the first and most important step in ensuring that your children do not become victims your substance abuse.