Parental Substance Abuse and the Effects on Children

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In families where alcohol or other drugs are being abused, behavior can range from loving to withdrawn to crazy and can be frequently unpredictable and communication can often be unclear. Family life can be characterized as chaotic and uncertain. Structure and rules may be either nonexistent or inconsistent. Children, who may not understand that their parent’s behavior and mood is determined by the amount of alcohol or other drugs in their bloodstream, can feel confused and insecure. They love their parents and worry about them, and yet feel angry and hurt that their parents do not love them enough to stop using. Many children who are raised by parents who abuse alcohol and other drugs are not neglected, but children raised in such circumstances are four times more likely to be neglected than other children. Substance abuse is a difficult situation for anyone to deal with, but the problem is compacted when children are involved. Parents who are substance abusers may knowingly or unknowingly be causing a number of problems for their child. Substance abuse is a difficult situation for anyone to deal with, but the problem is compacted when children are involved. Parents who are substance abusers may knowingly or unknowingly be causing a number of problems for their child. Emotional effects that children of substance abusive parents may experience are to blame themselves for their parent’s overall drug or alcohol abuse, thinking that they are not good enough and force their parents to use drugs or alcohol. There is a higher occurrence of depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicide attempts among children growing up with substance abusive parents compared to children that grow up with parents who do not abuse substances. The child might develop stress-related health problems like gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, migraines, or asthma, causing them to miss
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