Running head, HOW PARENTAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE AFFECTS CHILDREN 1

Effects of Parental Substance Abuse:

Kamara Applegate

Sinclair Community College

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A recent unemployed father of three buried in empty bottles of alcohol, an individual

sniffing cocaine, and that desperate high school dropout puncturing their skin with a needle.

These are stereotypical images that society visualizes at the term substance abuser. There needs

to be more recognition and sympathy towards the scared and confused child. They can

experience our natural fight or flight mechanism young enough for it to be unnecessary and

entirely avoidable. At the sight of the child’s parents aggressively fighting. The child, tears

running down their cheeks, as their heart rate increases, their hands become clammy. Most

children will escape to their safe place.

A need that is common amongst children is they depend on the two responsible for their

genetic makeup. A difference is children that are still in the womb are directly affected

physically by the substance that is being abused by the mother versus children who are not in the

womb. If the mother is abusing a substance the child is put in risk from organ malformation to

attention deficit disorders (Drugrehab). If the substance abuse is severe it can be fatal. The fetus

suffers the consequences at the expense of the mother’s behavior.

Substance abuse not only affects the user and child, but every family member residing in

the home. As the user battles with substance abuse their relationship dwindles with their child.

The situation gives the child chronic stress and increased risk for drug and alcohol use. If

parental substance abuse is unavoidable in the child's life, the child can mirror the behavior of

the parent into adulthood. Parental substance abuse affects the child emotionally, mentally, long

term, and/or physically.

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When a parent consistently fails their child on providing for their needs it damages their

relationship. Children naturally yearn for comfort and emotional support from their parents.

When a child is not receiving that consistent support, they lose trust in the parent. Thus leading

to the parent’s and child’s bond weakening. Most substance abusers are busy mentally to tend to

the needs of their child. Due to the constant demand of supply, their dependence on the

substance, and their active avoidance of withdrawal.

Another component that affects the parent and child’s relationship is the parent’s

personality. Consistent personality characteristics from the parent benefits the child. Just as

children need a stable home, they need their parents to have a stable identity. The cause for a

inconsistent personality is the substance itself. It can be the overuse of the substance on a

particular day or going through withdrawal of the substance. If the parent is generally open

minded, enthusiastic, and outgoing the child will be confused as to why the parent’s personality

abruptly changed. If the parents personality is now introverted, aggressive, and uninterested they

child will likely take that personality shift personally. This shift can cause the child to withdraw

from the parent.

An unfortunate link to parental substance abuse is neglect of the child. When the parent is

under the influence of alcohol or drugs the needs of the child tend to lose priority to the

individual. The parent does not fulfill the child's basic needs. If the child is sick and needs to be

taken to the doctor or needs to be picked up from a extracurricular activity at school the parent

often cannot do so due to being under the influence. The parent regularly becomes unreliable to

the child. The lack of care can induce anxiety disorders and depression on the child.
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The addiction of the parent can cause the child to experience migraines, asthma, ulcers,

and anxiety based illnesses (Drugrehab). The physical harm substance abuse has on a child

continues. As the child goes through adolescence they become more susceptible to depression. If

the child becomes depressed that is the gateway to self harm, suicidal thoughts, and suicide

attempts. Many children feel inadequate, unloved and seek to escape the situation and

environment their parents have created.

As the child escapes the scarring scene between the substance abuser and a member of

the household they are likely to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). When a child

witnesses violence in the household they are more likely to remember that situation throughout

their life. Due to the behavior shocking and traumatizing the child. The parent that inflicts harm

on others in front of the child can scare the child enough for the child to withdraw from that

parent.

As the parent under the influence loses their judgement, character, and morality. They

tend to lash out on other members of the household, more so those who don’t enable the abusers

behavior. PTSD changes the brain’s function affecting daily life. USU states, “The parts of your

brain responsible for thinking and memory stop functioning properly. When this occurs, it’s hard

to separate safe events happening now from dangerous events that happened in the past.” This

can be an issue for the child, and can be long term if PTSD is severe and goes without treatment.

Mental health is largely affected by parental substance abuse and correlates with the long

term effects abuse. Household that are under chaos or stress tend to affect the children’s

academic performance. When a child's home is not a safe stress free environment it can limit the

child's focus and ability to put forth effort in school. Children mirror certain aspects of their
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parents’ behavior even if unintentionally. As the child gets older, and they see that no actions are

being taken by the school or social services; children make the conclusion that their parent does

not have consequences for their destructive behavior.

Thus leading the child to lose respect for authority. The child is likely to do poor in

school and exhibit destructive and careless behavior. If the child has no academic support at

home, the child is likely to not put much effort into their academics. Low effort leads to poorer

academic performance, failed grades, and dropping out of school. Children who suffer parental

substance abuse during pregnancy have a higher chance of developing mental deficiencies.

Children who exhibit this pattern of behavior tend to have low respect for authority into

adulthood. (Drugrehab)

Parental substance abuse affects the child’s behavior immensely. Due to substance abuse

parental supervision of their child is poor. It is common for children to act out in school to get

attention. Children crave attention from their parents when they don’t receive a substantial

amount they seek other ways to get attention. This particular seeking for attention can be the

child not following the schools conduct or the child wins an award at the school. A child wanting

attention can result in a positive or negative situation.

Two unfortunate variables that commonly leads to a bigger problem is lack of

supervision/attention and lack of respect for authority. The child can get involved in illegal

activities without the parents knowledge. This increases the child’s likelihood of using drugs and

alcohol. If the parents are aware of the behavior, the one who suffers the substance abuse is not

likely to take active measures to prohibit the child from continuing the self destructive behavior.
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The parent is also less likely to punish the child. Reinforcement towards the child to discontinue

the behavior on this parent’s behalf is likely poor.

Over the course of the parental substance abuse the child’s self worth, self esteem, and

self respect is altered negatively. The mistreatment and lack of warmth the child received from

the parent affects how the child views themself. Substance abuse has been modeled for the child

through an extensive period. Children who have a parent with a substance abuse problem are

more likely to develop a problem later in life versus children who do not have a parent that has a

substance abuse problem.

Children who have dealt with parental substance abuse may not choose to abuse

substance like there parents. Unfortunately girls who have experienced have an increased chance

of dating or marrying someone who does have a substance abuse problem. The child’s view of

themself has been altered. That leads the child to not consider that they deserve more than that

significant other who has an addiction problem. Drugrehab states, “They are more likely,

especially girls in particular, to date or marry someone who is also an addict.” The altered self

esteem, self respect, and self worth carries into adulthood. Also the low self esteem guides the

individual to surround themselves with others who typically have a substance abuse issue.

The relationship that children who suffered parental substance abuse tend to marry

someone with that same or similar issue. Paves a path for a lifetime of mistreatment, abuse, and

depression. The significant other with the substance abuse problem is not consciously aware in

the relationship. That leads the individual to become depressed seeking outlets making substance

abuse once again a temptation. Those who grow up with a parent dealing with a substance abuse

problem, typically don’t see the end of addiction going into adulthood.
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Although children who deal with parental substance abuse face many negative

consequences. There is a silver lining among children. They can use their parents and the life

they were raised in as a primary example of who not to become or to stay away from substances

that are highly abused. This situation gives them more knowledge then their peers on the reality

of our relationship with substances. They have experience and understanding on what drugs and

alcohol can do to anyone. That understanding alone can influence the child to take similar

substances seriously.

Parental substance abuse has a major impact on children. The effects are not only

negative, but emotional, physical, mental, and long term. Children who have a parent who

suffers with substance abuse do not experience a healthy stable environment. To thrive children

need constant support, warmth, and shelter from their parents. These children suffer right in front

of our eyes, the best thing to do for them is provide recognition. With recognition we can help

the child in their unstable environment and decrease the severity of effects that parental

substance abuse has on a child.

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References

Drugrehab. (2018) The Effects of Parental Substance Abuse on Children. Retrieved from

https://www.drugrehab.org/the-effects-of-parental-substance-abuse-on-children/

Uniformed Services University. (2017, May 30). How PTSD Affects brain “circuitry”. Retrieved

from https://www.hprc-online.org/articles/how-ptsd-affects-brain-circuitry

Biederman, J., Hirshfeld-Becker, D. R., Rosenbaum, J. F., Perenick, S. G., Wood, J., &

Faraone, S. V. (2001). Lack of association between parental alcohol or drug addiction

and behavioral inhibition in children. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 158(10),

1731–1733. https://doi-org.sinclair.ohionet.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.158.10.1731

Fuller-Thomson, E., Katz, R. B., Phan, V. T., Liddycoat, J. P. M., & Brennenstuhl, S.

(2013). The long arm of parental addictions: The association with adult children’s

depression in a population-based study. Psychiatry Research, 210(1), 95–101. https://doi-

org.sinclair.ohionet.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2013.02.024

Salo, S., & Flykt, M. (2013). The impact of parental addiction on child development. In

N. E. Suchman, M. Pajulo, & L. C. Mayes (Eds.), Parenting and substance abuse:

Developmental approaches to intervention. (pp. 195–210). New York, NY: Oxford

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