Look after yourself
Being a parent of a drug-dependent child can be demanding and emotionally taxing. It's crucial to look after your physical and mental health. Do not be reluctant to ask friends, family, or a counsellor for support.
"Growing up with an alcoholic; being abused as a child; being exposed to extraordinary stress—all of these social factors can contribute to the risk for alcohol addiction or drug abuse," Koob says. "And with drugs or underage drinking, the earlier you start, the greater the likelihood of having alcohol use disorder or addiction later in life."
Teens are especially vulnerable to possible addiction because their brains are not yet fully developed—particularly the frontal regions that help with impulse control and assessing risk. Pleasure circuits in adolescent brains also operate in overdrive, making drug and alcohol use even more rewarding and enticing.
NIH is launching a new nationwide study to learn more about how teen brains are altered by alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs.
Researchers will use brain scans and other tools to assess more than 10,000 youths over 10 years. The study will track the links between substance use and brain changes, academic achievement, IQ, thinking skills, and mental health over time.
Although there's much still to learn, we do know that prevention is critical to reducing the harms of addiction. "Childhood and adolescence are times when parents can get
involved and teach their kids about a healthy lifestyle and activities that can protect against the use of drugs," Volkow says. "Physical activity is important, as well as getting engaged in work, science projects, art, or social networks that do not promote the use of drugs.
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How Drug Addiction Affects the Entire Family
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Peace Valley Recovery is located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Our mission is to provide patient-centred care that focuses on healing and recovery from addiction. This blog provides information, news, and uplifting content to help people in their recovery journey.
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Authored by Elliott Redwine, | Medically Reviewed by Peace Valley Recovery Editorial Staff,
Last Updated: March 5, 2023
Addiction affects the family.
It's easy to think of the ways drug addiction affects the person using substances. As addiction progresses, the impact only gets worse with time. There can be short- and long-term health effects, loss of jobs, increasing financial troubles, and run-ins with the law. Living in active addiction is not a simple way to live.
However, people who struggle with addiction are not the only ones who feel the impact. The effects of active addiction stretch far beyond the person using substances. Immediate family members are also affected when their loved one has a drug or alcohol problem. Whether it's a child, parent, or spouse, addiction alters the lives of anyone who loves the person.
After her brother was diagnosed with the disease of addiction, Sam Fowler and her family had to change the way they lived their lives. In her talk, she tells about her experiences suffering from "the family disease."
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
Addiction affects the entire family in many ways. The specific effects depend on which person in the family unit has the problem. Relationships, finances, safety, and more are all at risk.
For example, children with a parent with an addiction problem grow up with less support and guidance. On the other hand, parents with children who abuse substances have different issues. Additionally, children growing up with a sibling with a problem have difficulties. Even spouses of an addict also experience an extraordinary impact.
If your loved one struggles with drug addiction, how should you respond? What are some of the many ways addiction affects the entire family? Where can families with a loved one in active addiction find help?
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Familial Relationships and Addiction
There are countless effects of drug addiction on the family. Strained relationships, financial difficulties, and increased risk of abuse are only the start. Since each family has a different dynamic, not all families feel the same effects to the same extent. Regardless, it's impossible to deny that addiction affects the entire family.
Addiction strains relationships, no matter which family member has the problem. It doesn't matter if it's a parent, child, spouse, or sibling. Every family member struggles alongside the addict to an extent. Living with someone with active addiction is a daily challenge for each person in the home.
The Effects of Addiction on a Family
Family members also respond in different ways. Some members step back from the family unit to avoid engaging with the addict. They don't want to involve themselves in the chaos that comes with addiction. Some take on the opposite role and try to influence or control the addict into stopping or getting help. Others ride the middle line and try their best to blend in.
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How Addiction Affects Children
An estimated 1 in 8 children lives with a parent who had an active substance use disorder in the past year. The effects of addiction on a child depend on a few things:
Whether they come from a single-parent or two-parent household
Whether one or both parents struggle with addiction
Children living with a single parent who abuses drugs don't have anyone to turn to. It's similar for children living in a two-parent household with both parents struggling. When only one parent has a problem, there's another parent to step in. They still feel the effects of drug addiction but still have some support.
Help is Available for the Families of Addicts
Children who live with an addicted parent grow up in an unpredictable environment filled with secrecy and role reversal. They receive inconsistent physical and emotional support. Children in these environments experience affected social development, self-confidence, health, and more. There is a much higher possibility of abuse or violence against these children.
How Addiction Affects Parents
Parents who have a child with an addiction problem have a unique set of difficulties. They're constantly plagued by worry about their safety and well-being. They may feel responsible for their child's path and wonder where they went wrong.
Addiction Recovery - Family Therapy
Being a parent and feeling powerless watching your child suffer is painful. Some parents take on an overbearing and enabling role. This creates an inappropriately dependent relationship as their child grows up. Many try supporting their children financially, hoping they will turn their life around.
How Addiction Affects Siblings
Siblings of addicts are sometimes referred to as the "invisible victims." These siblings feel various emotions like confusion, frustration, shame, resentment, and more. Parents tend to be consumed by their siblings with addiction problems. Their ongoing and increasing issues draw attention away from the other children. They often end up taking the sidelines.
Some siblings take the path of refusing to follow the path their brother or sister took. They see the effects of addiction on their family and refuse to add to the problem. Others also turn to drugs or alcohol, following in their sibling's footsteps. They use substances either as a way to escape the pain or to draw some of their parents' attention back to them.