Page 34 - KPSA EXCELLENCE MARCH -MAY ONLINE

Parenting Under the Influence:
Addiction & It’s Impact on Familieseople become addicted to
something when they crave it Shamita Omote dependent and closest to them can
the family function better and to range from minor neglect to full
Pand depend on it to face life. maintain a level of homeostasis, blown abuse. Parents who raise their
stability, and balance. The effects of children in a home where addiction
It makes them feel better, or at leastdrug addiction on family members is prevalent and normalized can
keeps them from feeling pain and vary, but when substance abuse is end up harming their children in
their personal problems. Some do added to this dynamic, the family various ways. Children look up
it for social reasons as they mingle roles naturally shift to adjust to the to their parents for guidance in a
with others who drink (or gamble, new behaviour’s associated with multitude of ways and when that
etc) and want to be accepted. But drug or alcohol use to continue parent’s judgement is affected by
when the good feeling wears off, they maintaining order and balance. The substance/drug abuse, they can
miss it, so they repeat the behaviour effects of drug addiction on family not only cause mental, physical,
again. This goes over and over again members, when the addiction emotional trauma, but they can also
and eventually are trapped and are is developed later in life creates severely alter or hinder the child’s
addicted. As they rely on it more another set of issues, as many family development in all these stages.
and more, their addiction becomes roles have already been firmly set. The effects of drug abuse on family
their god and they lose everything to The blurred line between parent/ members, specifically for children
it. Eventually it destroys their lives,child relationships and parent/ living with an addicted parent can
their families, their relationships, be felt long after childhood and well
their friendships, their jobs and into adulthood. Parental alcoholism
business and finally their role in the and drug addiction can create
community. poor self-image, loneliness, guilt,
Prolonged use of drugs and /or anxiety, feelings of helplessness,
alcohol will deteriorate a person’s fear of abandonment and chronic
physical health, impair his or her depression in children.
mental functioning, and damage These problems can lead to more
their overall spirit. But how will severe problems later in life. Overall,
these adverse effects impact the these individuals are at a greater
addict’s immediate family, and how risk for behavioural and emotional
will the damage manifest itself? problems when compared to
The effects of drug use on family children of non-alcoholics as these
members are more severe than we toxic alcoholic family roles form.
can suspect.

Addiction is a family disease. friend relationships also makes the Children who have alcoholic family
Families of users, both immediate situation more difficult to remedy. members are also four times more
family members and often extended But children aren’t the only ones who likely to develop alcoholism than
family members as well, are affected can be caught in the cross-hairs of individuals who were not raised
in some way by the individual’s addiction. Parents in alcohol/drug by alcoholics. They are also more
substance use. Users impact their addiction put their addiction first likely to have difficulty dealing with
family’s finances, physical health, and their families especially their stress and highly likely to marry an
and psychological well being. In children on the back burner. Thus, alcoholic or abusive spouse later in
every family unit, each person plays lack of care towards those who are life
a role (or multiple roles) to help In the physical domain, effects of

34 KPSA Excellence March - May 2021