Understanding the impact of parental substance use disorders on children
Understanding the impact of parental substance use disorders on children
By Morgan Gangi
JRN-100 News Reporter
When Seamus Gleeson was in middle school, instead of focusing on homework, friendships, or extracurricular activities, he would spend his days worrying if he would come home to his mother dead from a heroin overdose.
“Every day I would get home from school, scared out of my mind,” said Gleeson. “It takes a toll on you–wondering if you were going to see your mother alive when you get home or not.”
Many of Gleeson’s favorite memories from his childhood revolve around the times when his family would take camping trips, where they could escape society and enjoy the peaceful serenity of the woods. During this time, his mother would refrain from heroin use. However, when they returned home, the addiction took hold and she would start using again. His mother’s drug use changed the family dynamic–a trend that is all too common throughout the United States.
In the United States, 8.7 million children under the age of 17 live with at least one parent with a substance use disorder according to the 2015 study Children Living with Parents Who Have a Substance Use Disorder. When addiction hits home, it’s not just the parents who suffer–it’s the kids too.
The study conducted by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that when parents become addicted to drugs and alcohol, it impacts their physical and emotional health, behaviors, and ability to effectively parent their kids. In turn, their children are more likely to face academic and social challenges that can persist for a lifetime.
“It was really hard for me to pay attention in school, especially during the times when the addiction became bad,” said Gleeson. “I would skip class a lot and not do any outside homework. I never considered college as an option for me.”
The study by Rachel N. Lipari, Ph.D., and Struther L. Van Horn, M.A., discusses substance use disorders and their impact on children using data based on combined 2009 to 2014 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. The organization defines substance use disorders as a pattern of recurrent alcohol or drug use leading to issues controlling usage, neglecting responsibilities, health problems, and increased time spent getting, using, or recovering from the substance’s effects.
Margaret (Peg) Tiberio, program director of The Champion Plan in Brockton, has worked with individuals with substance use disorders for 15 years. The Champion Plan, created by former Brockton mayor Bill Carpenter, assists people with substance use disorders in going into treatment. Finding detox beds and programs is very difficult in this day and age, and The Champion Plan not only places individuals into these treatments but also provides aftercare for 2 years. Through her professional and personal observations of families affected by parental substance use disorders, she recognizes the significant role that schools play in supporting these children.
“I think that schools are becoming much more aware, which is what the children deserve. One of the wonderful resources is the Mayor's Opioid Overdose Coalition,” said Tiberio. “With the high school kids, they do something called PhotoVoice, which helps children to hold onto their own identity. My worry is that children have to create an identity that matches the dysfunction, and so I think they bring a lot of confidence to the children and awareness.”
Schools have become an important resource for children who are exposed to drug use. Access to clean clothes is a barrier to many students’ attendance and wellbeing, and to eliminate this some schools in America have implemented washing machines and dryers. Care closets have also become a staple in many teachers’ classrooms, with items such as deodorant and hair products available to the children.
According to the study, children of parents with a substance use disorder were found to be of lower socioeconomic status and had more academic, social, and family difficulties when compared with children of parents who do not have a substance use disorder.
“I felt very isolated from the other kids at my school,” said Gleeson. “We didn’t have much money, so I would never get new school clothes and supplies, and going to a wealthier school showed that. I never brought friends over because I was embarrassed, and I would usually go over to my friends' houses and stay for weekends to weeks at a time to get away. Not a whole lot of people knew because I kept those feelings inside. I didn't have anyone to talk to.”
While Gleeson tried seeing a therapist, he ended up stopping the treatment. Instead, he found another way to express how he felt.
“I coped through running,” said Gleeson. “I joined the cross country team and found a great group of friends through that. Running allowed me to discover what I like to do, which I hadn’t thought about for a long time.”
As a child of a parent with a substance use disorder, Gleeson’s unique coping method allowed him to find his own individuality in a time when he felt little control over his life. Tiberio, on the other hand, encourages adults working with this vulnerable group to attend therapy for their own well-being.
“I advise anybody who works in this field, or works with people who suffer, or works with children who are in a suffering home to have a therapist,” said Tiberio. “You have to have someone to talk to because you just hear things that are too much to not let them out somewhere.”
After years of tension with his mother, Gleeson and his mom now hold a healthy relationship. However, there are still feelings left over that are causing him to reconsider therapy.
“We have both matured and realized that life is fragile and can be taken away at any time,” said Gleeson. “She has been sober for roughly two and a half years now, which has helped mend our relationship. Today, I would feel better talking to someone about my past. It gets better, but her substance use is always gonna be a part of me.”
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