Taking a Different Path
from your Addicted Parents

According to the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA), there are more than 28 million American children with parents impaired by psychoactive drugs and alcohol. Nearly 11 million of these children are under the age of 18. Because parents serve as role models, this means that their children have higher chances of engaging in these behaviors and are two to four times more likely to become addicts later in life.

Being Raised in a Home where Addiction Reigns

Do parents with addiction issues doom their children to experience the same struggle?

Exposing children to dangerous and illegal drugs, whether in utero or through being in a smoky area or near the substance, can be easily considered child abuse. Addiction can also lead to maltreatment in any of the following ways:

  • Physical or verbal abuse while under the influence
  • Abandonment of the child
  • Disregarding or inattention to the child’s needs
  • Forcing the child to cover up their parent’s addiction

Studies of parents who are detained or in rehab for addiction have revealed the tumultuous upbringing of their children. Criminality or substance abuse in the domestic environment sets a powerful negative example, creating a foundation for children to enter “into the system.” This perpetuates a cycle, especially for children in underprivileged homes and neighborhoods.

When Parents Strive to Recover

Many addicted parents try to raise their children well in spite of the habit. The children may not become addicts, but it is still a fact that their lives are impacted by drug use. Once parents choose to kick their addiction and ask for help, they may feel remorseful about the pain and harm inflicted on their children. Although the past cannot be changed and dwelling on mistakes has no benefits, deciding to stay away from drugs is the best gift to give your children.

In many families, the addiction cycle may have continued for generations. Apart from the role of genetics, addiction makes one unable to handle life’s pressures in healthy ways. When parents use drugs or alcohol to calm their turbulent emotions, they teach children that reaching for something outside themselves can make them feel better.

On the other hand, if parents choose to get sober/clean, children will greatly benefit from this example of making better choices. They can find the right path on their own, just as their parents make the effort to find theirs. The most important point is to break the cycle of substance abuse to change the course of young lives.

Support outside the Home

Children with addicted parents need sober and stable support in their lives. If their parents are neglectful or abusive, whom can they rely on? Children may be able to count on relatives or support groups to help them survive the trauma and develop the skills needed to handle the daily tension at home. In the process, they can develop autonomy and become independent from their unreliable parents.

It is important for children of addicts to feel they are not alone. When at least one individual or organization understands them and makes them feel cared for, it reduces the shame, fear, guilt, anger, and other negative emotions they feel. These children will greatly benefit if they are given the opportunity to express feelings, share experiences, and learn important lessons.

The attention and care they receive will increase their self-esteem, which may be lacking when their parents are too obsessed with drugs and alcohol to care for them. Children with more confidence have higher chances of establishing healthy relationships, expressing emotions, and creating a productive life different from their troubled homes. Only by providing support for these children can the negative cycle of addiction be broken.

Reach Out for Help in Breaking the Cycle

Experts say that children with addicted parents suffer from psychological and emotional symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. This doesn’t mean that there is no hope for the future. If your family has a history of addiction, you can choose to stop the cycle. Whatever damage it may have caused you, it’s possible to get past your hurt and learn healthy ways to heal. You can flourish and thrive without repeating the patterns observed in your home.

Whether or not your addicted parents have sought professional treatment to curb their addiction, it is beneficial that you receive help for yourself. Addiction has a way of embedding itself from one generation to the next, but it can be changed with professional help. Early intervention significantly lessens the lifelong impact of addiction.

Get help from Carolina Counseling Services – Fuquay-Varina, NC. CCS has independently contracted counselors who are addiction specialists committed to helping children and young adults process the challenges of growing up with addicted parents. Addiction isn’t meant to be passed down. By seeking help and care for yourself, you can take a different path from your parents. You can make addiction in your family stop with you. Call now to request an appointment.

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