Children of alcoholics and other substance abusers are those who have a parent or other primary caregiver whose alcohol or drug abuse causes problems in the child's life, as defined by the Phoenix House Center on Addiction and the Family. The effects of parental substance abuse on children and families reaches far beyond the immediate impact on victims. Over the long term, stress, abuse and neglect within the family unit may lead to psychological problems and high-risk behaviors, which in turn can bring about lifelong physical and mental health problems.
Fear
Children of parents who abuse controlled substances often live in fear, primarily because they are abused or neglected when a parent is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Not all children with parents who abuse drugs or alcohol are victims of family violence themselves, but they may witness domestic violence against the other parent, their siblings or even other adults living in the household. Children who are frightened for their own safety or that of others may suffer from anxiety, sleep disturbances and depression. A child may have the added worry that a parent will become sick or injured as a result of substance abuse.
Low Self-Esteem
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families reports that child abuse and neglect can have lifelong effects that include low self-esteem and the inability to trust others. Children often develop low self-esteem when one or both parents abuse controlled substances. When parents are more preoccupied with substance abuse than their parental roles, a child may not get the sense of security he needs to develop healthy self esteem. Even if one parent does not abuse alcohol or drugs, she may be an enabler, and therefore, so focused on keeping the family together that she might not properly nurture the child. In other cases, a child may be both emotionally and physically abused as the result of a parent's substance abuse.
Self Blame
Children often blame themselves when a parent abuses controlled substances. They think that it must somehow be their fault if a parent uses drugs or drinks too much alcohol. A child sometimes believes that her parent will stop drinking or using drugs if she behaves better or gets higher grades in school. These children often work extra hard to please their parents, hoping that the parents will then stop using controlled substances.
Injury/Illness
Children can suffer injuries or health problems as a result of a parent's substance abuse. If a pregnant woman drinks alcohol while pregnant, the baby can develop long-term health problems and disabilities. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, a leading cause of birth defects, can cause serious symptoms, depending on how much the mother drinks during pregnancy. Other problems include unsanitary living conditions or an unsafe environment for a child, either of which can lead to injury or illness.
Financial Effects
A family with a parent who abuses drugs or alcohol can have financial difficulties.
Substance abuse frequently has economic consequences. A parent may spend money that should be used to provide for the family to obtain drugs or alcohol instead. Some people who suffer addictions are unable to hold down a job as a result of their substance abuse. It is common for children in families in which even one parent has a substance abuse problem to live in a low-income household.
Changes in Family Structure
According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, substance abusers, with their unreliable and unpredictable behavior, frequently are unable to fulfill their traditional roles within the family. As a consequence, children may find themselves taking on more adult responsibilities. However, not all children react well to this situation. and it may put them at higher risk for eventual substance abuse themselves when they seek escape from the problems at home.
Separation and divorce can also occur when the other spouse has finally had enough. This creates even more stress and confusion for children. If both parents have substance abuse problems, or if a child is being raised in a single-parent household where the parent abuses alcohol or drugs, the child can be removed from the home and placed in foster care. Intervention of this kind normally occurs when the problems associated with a parent's substance abuse become severe.
