Millions of Families Are Impacted by Drug Use, And We Need to Talk About It!

             Do you know someone who struggles with substance abuse? If you do then, you know it affects far more than just the person using substances. Addiction messes with everyone around them. This disease hurts everyone who cares about the person affected. 

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Did you know that every 1 in 4 children lives with at least one parent who has substance issues (Morgan). That is a lot of kids. There are so many households struggling with this issue, and you wouldn’t even know it. A lot of people miss how greatly it affects kids. 

Every house is affected differently, which affects each kid different. Some cases might be a little more subtle than others. For instance, maybe it only results in things like missed school events or emotional distance. While sure this doesn’t sound so bad it can create a really negative environment. Sure, this most likely teaches a child independence. It also teaches kids they can’t rely on anyone and that emotion is a negative thing. 

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Some houses are a little more serious. Sometimes a kid might feel like they are walking on eggshells. One moment they might get along perfectly with their parents. Then another moment a switch flips and everything that goes wrong is their fault. Reactions like this can make a child feel very cautious in their own home and can even cause severe anxiety.

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In more major cases children might come out of it with more than emotional damages but, may also experience physical harmed. People react to substances differently. Some people have an aggressive reaction to certain substances. This may cause a child to get abused in the house. While abuse may not be intentional it is still extremely wrong. 

Abuse isn’t the only way to harm a child. While neglect may not always be as visible as abuse, it can still cause serious harm. When substances are a person’s main focus sometimes, they forget things like the child’s basic needs. Maybe they can’t keep up with the hygiene of a younger child. Maybe the kid doesn’t get enough food and water. Maybe they never take their child to checkups or the dentist. Or maybe the child isn’t being supervised which can lead a child to get hurt and probably not get the right medical care. 

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If the substance use is so severe parents might even leave it out near their kids or use it in front of them. more dangerous substances can lead to a child having secondhand use. This could start a child on a road of addiction before they even know what it is. If their parent’s substance use is a part of a child’s normal it can lead to future substance abuse in the kid. Parents who use substance tend to create a cycle that is hard to break, passing from one generation to the next. 

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If it becomes aware that a child is in an unsafe situation authorities might step in. People fear social services because they think they will take their kid but, why should they be afraid unless they know they did something wrong. Social services only looks out for the well-being of a child. If a kid is safe and happy they have no reason to interfere. A decision to remove a child from a house is not made easily but, sadly happens to be necessary. According to the Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions, substance use is involved in about 50 to 79 percent of cases with young children in foster care. That’s a huge percentage, showing just how closely addiction and family separation are connected.

Photo From Bryan Fagan

While removing a child from a household may be the safest option for a child it might still cause issues. When a kid is taken for a bad home, they are ripped from everything they ever knew and surrounded by a bunch of unfamiliar people. While possibly the safest option a child might feel confused, scared, or might possibly think it is their fault. 

      Photo From Bryan Fagan

      This action might also separate a family forever. Sometimes people don’t have it in them to fix themselves. This may cause a mother to never see her child again. Children might wonder if it is their fault for their parents’ substance issues or might wonder if their parents didn’t love them or think they were worth the effort to get better. If a parent does put in the work it is a long emotional and grueling process to reunite a family. 

            As a child from a family where substance abuse is a common issue, I have seen a lot of scenarios. From my own parent to aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins I have seen little effects of substance abuse, but I have also seen more severe outcomes. The one thing I have learned is that no matter how bad the situation it is never easy for anyone. I have seen so much pain throughout my family caused by substance abuse. My goal that I’ve known for a very long time is that I plan to break the cycle. I would never want a child to experience the pain I have seen.  

            At the end of the day substance use affects so many people. The user, their partner, their parents, their kids, and so many other loved ones. It is a huge issue that causes major harm to families. Children in particular are hugely affected by a parent’s substance use. It causes so many issues that can last a kid for a lifetime. Millions of families around the world struggle with these issues. Each family has their own struggle and their own story. Know how you can affect your story.