It’s difficult to list exactly how addiction affects families. The repercussions spread outward like the rings from a pebble dropped in a pond. But experts have known for years that children who grow up in homes where drugs and alcohol are used often develop addictions, too. Sadly, even if these children do manage to skirt a substance use disorder, they may develop other problems as adults, including:
- Choosing partners who have substance use disorders
- Failing to provide self-care
- Being too loyal to people who don’t deserve it
- Becoming people pleasers
- Being unable to say no
Growing up the child of parents who use drugs usually involves becoming too mature at too early an age. It requires engaging in secrecy and subterfuge so that nobody outside the home discovers what goes on inside. These children grow up learning to hide healthy feelings and emotions so as not to rock the boat. These are lessons that carry over into adult life and make it difficult to maintain healthy relationships and hold down successful jobs. It’s depressing to think of how addiction affects families because, without outside help, its impact may last for years or even forever. If you or someone in your home struggles with a substance use disorder, today is the day to seek treatment. Recovery Ranch in Tennessee can help negate how addiction affects families before the damage trickles down to the next generation.
Addiction Breeds Neglect
When you live in a home with someone who’s dependent upon drugs or alcohol, life is chaotic. It’s hard to have friends or neighbors over because you never know what shape your loved one will be in. The family’s finances may be in a chronic state of upheaval, with collection agencies calling daily or cars being repossessed. Many people who suffer from substance use disorder have trouble finding and keeping jobs, and this trickles down to those who are dependent upon them. Food may be scarce in the cupboards, and there may not be funds for clubs or activities that children want to join. Children of parents or caretakers who suffer from addiction rarely have their needs met. This means they may walk around in clothes that are outgrown or need washing, hair that needs cut, and shoes that are worn out. Neglect is a harsh example of how addiction affects families, and it’s one that children will carry with them all their lives.
Addiction Causes Feelings of Shame
Parents who struggle with addiction are often consumed by the disorder. As a result, every waking thought involves the drug and how to get more. This leaves little room for interacting with children and meeting their needs. Sadly, children who continuously fail to have their needs met often begin to feel that they’re to blame. They may feel flawed or unlovable. They may not understand that the problem is the addiction and blame themselves instead. This leads to lifelong feelings of shame and inadequacy. Children grow up thinking there’s a good reason why nobody seems to love or care for them. This, in turn, causes difficulty in relationships and self-esteem that may last forever. If you’re a parent who battles an addiction to drugs or alcohol in Tennessee, consider seeking treatment today. Recovery Ranch can help you change your focus and improve your life as well as the lives of everyone who resides with you.
Recovery Ranch Can Change How Addiction Affects Families
At Recovery Ranch, you’ll find a type of peace and serenity that’s been missing from your life since you began using drugs or alcohol. Compassionate, caring staff, beautiful accommodations, and a sprawling, rural campus provide a safe place for you to heal without judgment. Even if your life up to this point has been less than ideal, your future is full of opportunity. You can change your life and the lives of those who depend on you, and you can begin today. Recovery Ranch can help in every way, including:
- Providing safe, medically supervised detox
- Teaching you healthier coping skills
- Helping you learn positive recovery behaviors
- Improving your health through fitness and good nutrition
- Changing your focus from your addiction to your recovery
When you enter into treatment for drug or alcohol addiction at Recovery Ranch in Tennessee, everybody wins. You reclaim your life, and your children have their parent restored. The future for everyone in your home instantly brightens. Call us today at 1.844.876.7680 to make that change happen.
