When a family member abuses drugs or is dependent on drugs, it affects each family member in different ways. When parents know that their child, no matter the child's age, is abusing drugs, it can lead to many feelings, arguments in the home, failed attempts at treatment and marital issues.
Denial
Many parents deny that their child has a problem at the beginning even though they have seen all the signs that point toward drug use or abuse. They don't want to think their child could be using drugs or addicted to drugs. It's extremely hard to realize that your child has a serious problem such as drug addiction, and it's sometimes even harder to decide what to do after you've realized the problem. Many times parents want to help their teens and adult children but enable them to continue using drugs by allowing them to stay at home for free without mandating treatment. Parents sometimes feel hopeless and don't see a way to help.
Marital Issues
When a child, teen or adult child is abusing drugs, it may cause marital issues between the parents. The parents may disagree about how the child should be disciplined and what treatment he should receive. One parent may become resentful that the other parent encouraged the teenager to go to rehabilitation program and not live at home. This is one type of problem that can cause long-lasting issues in a marriage if the parents don't act a unified team.
Emotions
Many parents who have children that abuse drugs feel guilty, ashamed, angry and hopeless. Drug addiction is extremely hard to conquer even when you want to stop, and parents may find themselves hopeful in the beginning but may become hopeless if the child continues to relapse. Parents may not want their friends or family members to know about the family secret and may work hard at trying to hide it. They may feel guilty and blame themselves. Everyone makes mistakes, but parents of children who abuse drugs may feel that their mistakes caused their children to turn to drugs
Worry
Parents usually constantly worry about the child no matter what her age is. She might be a grown woman who abuses drugs, but the parents still worry about her overdosing, getting caught by the law and going to jail. This can lead to overwhelming stress, anxiety and other mental health issues such as depression. Parents may find themselves not being able to sleep at night and having trouble concentrating at work.
