If you are abusing and addicted to drugs or alcohol, you aren’t the only person who is suffering. Addiction is considered a complex disease, the effects of which have a lasting impact on the addict, as well as his or her loved ones. In other words, your abuse of and dependency on a substance or substances affects everyone in your life, including your parents.
Your parents want the best for you. They have worked hard all of their lives to provide for to the best of their abilities. They have provided you with shelter, nourishment, encouragement, support, and guidance. Your mom and dad are your biggest champions. Be that as it may, you may find it hard to believe that your actions can have an effect on them; however, if you are abusing and addicted to drugs or alcohol, the effects of your addiction are certainly going to impact your parents.
While the effects of addiction vary from person to person, including the loved ones of addicts, here’s a look at some of the ways that your substance abuse may be negatively impacting your mom and dad.
Trust Issues
While it’s often assumed that parents trust their children implicitly, that’s not always the case. They are human beings, and if their trust is broken, chances are that they are going to start having trouble trusting you. If you are abusing and addicted to drugs, it’s likely that you have told some serious lies and have done some pretty horrible things in order to cover up or support your habit; or, the effects of your substance abuse have lead to some serious consequences. For example, you may have lied about your whereabouts, stolen from your parents, or had trouble with the law as a result of your addiction.
Every time you do something negative – whether intentional or unintentional – because of your drug or alcohol abuse, your parents trust in you breaks just a little bit more. It can take years to rebuild the trust of your mom and dad; and, depending on the circumstances of your relationship and the things that you have done, you may never fully regain your parents trust.
Mental Anguish
Worry is an innate trait amongst parents. Mothers and fathers are constantly worried about their children’s well-being. They worry about their health, their safety, and their futures. If you are abusing and addicted to alcohol or drugs, you are further compounding the worry that they already feel. Your mom and dad will fear for your health, your safety, your future, and your life. They’ll constantly wonder if you will get arrested for driving under the influence, if your substance abuse will lead to a violent altercation, or if you will be involved in an accident or overdose.
The mental anguish that your parents will feel as a result of your addiction will be a very heavy burden for them to bear.
Financial Burden
Parents go above and beyond to provide for their children. Many moms and dads will be willing to take the shirts off of their own backs or the food off of their plates in order to cloth or feed their children. The same is true about providing for them financially. Your parents will go without so that they are able to provide the things that you need, which in many cases, means sacrificing their finances.
If you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, your parents could end up paying the price, monetarily speaking. For example, if your addiction ever ends up leading to an arrest and/or a conviction, you mom and dad will likely foot the bill to bail you out of jail or to pay for your legal defense fees. If they don’t have the funds available, that may mean going to great lengths to secure the money; selling their cars or their home, for example.
Shame
All a mom and dad wants is for their children to be as happy and successful as possible. If you are addicted to drugs or alcohol, however, it’s safe to say that your happiness and success will be affected; likewise, you could end up bringing shame to your parents. For instance, if you are arrested for a DUI or if you unable to secure a job because you are constantly high, it’s safe to say that they are going to experience some degree of shame when friends and family find out.
