When families have someone with an opioid addiction in their household, they know very well that this crisis goes far beyond that family member. Parents, children, siblings and other family members often feel the impact of substance use.
Opioid use by a son or daughter
When someone in the family becomes addicted to opioids, it changes the whole dynamic of the family. Parents often go into parenting mode to try and fix the concern with their children. Addiction is no easy fix.
People who use drugs can get into trouble, become violent, get sick or overdose. It is a lot to handle. In time, parents can become stressed out and find their own health is negatively impacted by worry. Sometimes parents fall into a pattern of being codependent and unknowingly hurting their child more than helping them. Conflicts often develop between the user and their parents.
When there is an opioid addict in the family, there is a mixture of emotions throughout the house, including:
Sadness
Anger
Isolation
Hopelessness
Confusion
Shame
Siblings caught between the child using drugs and their parents may find their needs unmet or they suffer emotional abuse. Siblings are also more likely to become involved with drugs after being exposed to them by a brother or sister.
Family finances are impacted because it is not unusual for people with opioid addictions to steal money or goods from home. Stealing and lying can lead to mistrust and resentment. An overall financial strain can further complicate the family dynamic and cause great instability. The financial burden in the home is also seen in the community at large.
When a parent is addicted to opioids
The opioid crisis across the country is leaving a number of children abused, abandoned and orphaned because parents often put their addiction first. In fact, 40 to 80 percent of all child abuse cases are within families where drugs and alcohol are present and substance use is a problem.
Child abuse may not outwardly appear severe, but when parents are addicted to opioids, children are forced into taking on adult roles or even parenting younger siblings. Because these are children and they look for emotional support from adults, they often slip into becoming codependent to please their parents.
Parents addicted to opioids behave erratically and parent inconsistently. While children thrive on structure, drug users provide mixed messages, confusion and unacceptable behavior instead. This leads to a home filled with instability and chaos. These children suffer emotionally from fear and insecurity, which impacts their overall development.
