Addiction and Parenting: Navigating the Challenges

As many as 8.7 million U.S. children live in a home where at least one parent has a substance use disorder (SUD). While the fallout from living in an environment punctuated by a parent experiencing substance dependency varies from child to child and household to household, it’s fair to say that growing up with a substance-dependent parent is never ideal. At worst, the effects of parental substance use on child development can be extremely harmful.

This article shines a light on how substance use impacts the children of addicted parents. It also covers both the obstacles those parents face when seeking help and ways they can overcome those challenges to rebuild healthy lives for themselves and their children.

The Effects of Parental Addiction on Children

Parenting is difficult even under the best of circumstances. When one or both parents suffers from a substance use disorder, these difficulties often become magnified.

Behaviors and Their Effects on Children

Dependency can interfere with every aspect of a person’s life, including how they interact with their children and maintain their home. Parents may find it difficult to:

• Keep their households organized and clean. A disorganized living environment results in chaos and unpredictability, undermining a child’s feelings of security.
• Recognize and respond appropriately to their children’s physical and emotional needs. Substance use can overtake a parent’s time and attention. With little energy left over to tend to the needs of others, children may go unfed and unwashed. Some may even be ignored and neglected to the extent that they end up in harm’s way.
• Keep a job and manage their finances. Excessive substance use can interfere with the ability to earn a living. This lack of job stability can lead to income insecurity, especially if the parent pays for drugs or alcohol before taking care of essential bills covering housing, food, and utilities.

Effects of Parental Substance Use on Child Development

While not applicable to every child who grows up with parental addiction, some of the potential effects of parental substance use on child development include:

• Impaired cognitive development
• Reduced impulse control
• Problems with learning and memory
• Weakened immune systems

In addition, children who grow up in a household where SUD goes untreated are more likely to blame themselves for their parent’s behavior, have difficulty establishing and maintaining healthy relationships, and perform poorly in school.

Overcoming Challenges Faced by Parents with Substance Use Disorder

Parents may be hesitant to seek help for various reasons. Many, out of a sense of shame or embarrassment, don’t want family and friends to know that they struggle with alcohol or drug use issues. Parents with a substance use disorder may fear the stigma of the label or fear of receiving a mental health diagnosis. Some may even fear losing custody of their children.

But while these concerns are understandable, the promises of recovery — developing healthy coping mechanisms, learning stress management techniques, and, most importantly, rebuilding trust and becoming a better and more present parent — are worth the effort. The place to begin is by prioritizing personal recovery and self-care, seeking a strong and consistent support network, and pursuing professional help.

Drug Addiction Help for Parents and Their Children

If you are a parent seeking options for substance use disorder treatment or are looking for ways to help the children of someone with SUD, there are a number of resources to tap into. These include:

• Family support groups and outpatient counseling services
• Rehabilitation programs and in-patient treatment options
• Parenting education and free family workshops
• Child welfare services and interventions

Next Steps Toward Recovery

Recovery has many challenges, especially for anyone coping with substance dependency while trying to provide a loving, supportive, and safe environment for their kids. Fortunately, there is help available for drug addiction help for parents and support services for the children of addicted parents.

At Retreat Behavioral Health, we are committed to helping whole families heal, including the children affected by parental substance use. Please contact us to learn more about our services and our commitment to holistic healing for the entire family.