Effects of Addicted Parents on Their Children

Drug addiction effects an individual physically, psychologically and economically. Drug addiction also effects family and other relations. Drug addiction shows adverse effects on the children who are raised by the alcoholics or drug users.

• Many parents who abuse drugs or alcohol will treat their families differently on different days depending on their mood and this causes confusion in the child or make them insecure.
• Alcoholism or drug abuse is some times a genetic problem and the children of the parents who abuse drugs are at high risk of alcoholism and other drug abuse than are other children. Children of alcoholic parents are four times more likely to become alcoholics themselves, which leads these families into a cycle.
• Families which have substance abusers are more at risk for domestic violence, mental illness, divorce, and sexual and physical abuse than other families and this shows negative effects on the children.
• Children of drug addicted parents are at higher risk for placement outside the home.
• Children of addicted parents exhibit symptoms of depression and anxiety more than the children from non addicted families because of the behavior of the addicted parents.
• Physical and mental health problems in the children from the drug addicted families are high when compared to children from non addicted families.
• Children of substance abusers are frightened and they may be some times victims of physical violence or incest.
• Children of the drug abusers find it difficult to make friends because other parents may warn their children to stay away from these guys and also they lack basic social skills required to develop a relation.

Children are very immature to understand what is good or bad, hence, when parents are becoming drug abusers, it is always necessary for them to think about their child's future, which otherwise will prove costly for their life.