Those who are in the throes of substance abuse and addiction often believe that their issues are only affecting themselves. However, research has found that drug and alcohol dependency not only affects the addict, it also affects everyone in their lives. If the addict is a parent, the people who are often damaged the most are the children.
It’s no secret that parents play a vital role in the lives of their children. They are role models, confidants, teachers, and their security blanket, so to speak. However, when a parent is abusing and addicted to drugs or alcohol, their children are affected in a myriad of ways. They watch their mom or dad make poor, unhealthy, dangerous, and destructive decisions. They can be the whipping post for unstable emotions. Their basic needs are often unattended to. In other words, when a parent is afflicted with substance abuse and addiction, they aren’t only harming themselves; they are also harming their children; and in many cases, the damage can be irreparable.
If you are a parent who is abusing and dependent on drugs or alcohol, getting help is crucial; if not for yourself, for your children. Here’s a look at some of the ways that your addiction negatively effects your kids.
Emotional Damage
Children require a lot of emotional support. As they learn how to navigate their own emotions, they need the emotional stability of their parents to help teach them how to manage their own feelings; or to simply make them feel safe when they confront hardships. Unfortunately, addicted parents are seldom able to provide their children with the emotional stability that they need.
Addicts are often emotionally withdrawn. Though the parent may physically be there, emotionally and mentally, they are absent. They are either high or are focused on getting high, which makes them emotionally unavailable for their kids. As a result, children of addicts end up suffering from emotional abuse. The emotional development of kids whose parents are dependent on drugs or alcohol is often stunted, and these effects can last the rest of their lives, impacting their future relationships; including the relationships that they have with their own children.
Psychological Impairments
Children of all ages can suffer severe psychological damage if their parents are addicted to drugs or alcohol; however, research shows that young children are particularly vulnerable to mental impairments if their mother or father is suffering from substance abuse.
Addicted parents are more apt to use harsh tactics when it comes to disciplining their children. They may use severe language and/or physically abuse their children when they make mistakes. This abuse can have lasting effects on children, as their self-esteem is often depleted. Children of addicts often end up battling a number of mental health issues that last long into adulthood, such as depression and anxiety.
Physical Damage
Instability and irrational behaviors are hallmarks of addiction. When it comes to parenting, instability and irrational behaviors can often manifest as physical abuse. Parents who are abusing and addicted to drugs or alcohol are more inclined to physically harm their children. They may use physical force as a form of discipline, for example. Even if the parent doesn’t strike their children, they can still impose physical harm; for instance, they may drive while under the influence with their children in the car, which of course, increases the chances of an accident; or, they may drop hot food or trip and fall while tending to a child. Any of these situations can lead to serious physical harm.
When children are physically abused by their parents, they also suffer mental and emotional damage. This further compounds the negative effects that an addicted parent can impose on his or her children.
Increased Risk of Addiction Disorder
Children emulate their parents. They look up to them and follow the examples that they set. If a child is watching his or her parent abuse drugs or alcohol, the chances that the child will also develop an addiction disorder significantly increase. Studies have found that a family history of substance abuse and dependency is one of the major underlying factors that contribute to the development of addiction.
