Lily Vasey

UWRT1103
Ms.Blandford
November4,2015
EffectsofSubstanceAbuseonParenting
SubstanceabuseisaproblemintheUnitedStatesandworldwidethataffectsboth
theuserandthepeopleorenvironmentaroundthem.Oftentimespeoplefocusonwhat
drugs/alcoholdoesdirectlytotheactualuser.Unfortunately,theusersalsohavealarge
impactonthelivesaroundthem.Therearemanyconsequencesofparentalsubstance
abuseincludingbehavioral,medical,educational,andemotional.Inaninterviewwithan
individualwithpastsubstanceabuseissues,shereportedthatwhendrugs/alcoholbeginto
takeoverapersonslife,thepowerofaddictionisstrongerthanamothersloveforher
children.
InasurveytitledtheNationalLongitudinalAlcoholEpidemiologicSurvey
publishedbytheNationalInstituteonAlcoholAbuseandAlcoholism,resultsshowed
thatapproximatelyoneinfourchildrenintheUnitedStatesundertheageofeighteen
livewithafamilymemberwhoabusesalcohol(Lam2009).Tome,thisproportionis
prettylarge,andthisisonlycoveringalcoholabuse,excludingothersubstanceabusers.It
isquitecommonforparentswhohavesubstanceabuseproblemstoalsohaveproblems
withviolence,divorceandunemployment.Therehasbeensignificantevidencethatboth
maritaldissatisfactionanddivorceratesareasmuchasseventimesgreaterinalcoholics
thanthegeneralpopulation(Newcomb2005).

TheNetflixseriesInterventionisarealityseriesaboutdifferentaddictsandthe
impacttheirillnesshasonthosearoundthem.Inoneparticularepisode(Ep.9),the
mother,Leslie,wasanalcoholicwho,atthetimeoftheintervention,stilllivedwithher
husband.Unfortunately,herbehaviorwastoocruelandextremelyinappropriate,
especially,forherthreeyoungchildrentobewitnessing.Thefatherevenhadtohavehis
kidsleavetheirownhouseuntilaftertheintervention.Hesaid:IfeelhorriblethatI
havetosendthekidsoutofthehousebecauseofLesliesbehavior.
Accordingtostudiesbyinterventionprogramsforwomenwithsubstanceabuse
issuesandtheirchildren,childrenareatgreaterriskforimpairedphysicalgrowth,
development,andhealth,poorcognitivefunctioningandschoolperformance,emotional
andbehavioralproblems,psychiatricdisorders,andsubstanceusethemselves(Sword
2012).Medically,childrenwillfaceconsequencesfromparentswithsubstanceabuse
problemssuchaslowerimmunizationratesandroutinedentalcare.InmyinterviewIhas
asked,Whatkindofhealthissueshaveraisedbecauseofsubstanceabuseissues?and
receivedtheanswermajordepressionandchronicpancreatitis.Whenaparent
experienceshealthissues,itistypicalthatitwillalsoaffecttheirchildrensincealotof
theirtimewillbespentdealingwithhis/herownproblems,especiallyiftheyreinbad
condition.Withlackofgoodparentalguidance,childrenmaydevelopdifferentlythan
thoseofchildrenwithparentswithnodrug/alcoholissues.Anotherexampleofmedical
consequencesisthechanceofbirthdefects.Formaternalparentswhoabusesubstances
whilepregnant,inparticularalcohol,canleadtoFetalAlcoholSyndrome.FetalAlcohol
Syndrome,orFAS,consistsofacombinationoffacialdysmorphia,severeand

persistentgrowthdeficiency,centralnervoussystemdysfunctionwithmentalretardation,
andotherdefects(EffectsofParentalSubstanceAbuseonChildrenandFamilies).
Asachild,gettinggoodgradesordoingwellinschoolingeneral,isamajor
priority.Thepeoplethatsurroundyougrowingup,especiallyparents,influenceyour
behaviorandthedecisionsyoumake.Infact,childrenfromsubstanceabusingfamilies
aremorelikelytohavelearningdisabilities;repeatmoregrades;attendmoreschools;and
aremorelikelytobetruant(EffectsofParentalSubstanceAbuseonChildrenand
Families).Growingupinaharshenvironmentingeneralcanbequitedetrimentaltohow
achilddevelops.Yourhomeissupposetobeaplaceofsafetyandaplacetofeelhappy,
butwhenlivingwithaparentwithsubstanceabuseproblems,goinghomejustmeans
morestressandsometimesevenafeelingunsafe.IntheInterventionepisode
previouslymentioned,theoldestchild(about14)saysthateverydayisalongdayfor
usbecauseoftheiralcoholicmom.Childrenbecomephysicallyandemotionallydrained
fromtheeventsthattakeplaceathomeswithparentalsubstanceabusers.Oftentimesits
hardtofocusordowellinschoolforthesechildren,alongwithitalsobeinghardto
participateinoutsideschoolactivities.
Thebiggesttollthatchildrenfacewhenhavingparentswithsubstanceabuse
problems,istheemotionalconsequences.Again,inInterventionthemotherLeslie
mentionsthatshecantbethereforherchildren[them]physicallyoremotionally
becausealcoholbecamemoreimportant.Herbehavior,likemostsubstanceabusers,was
veryinconsistent;sometimesshewasangry,orupsetandsometimesshewashappyand

loveable.Unfortunatelyforchildrenitbecomeshardtoeventrusttheirownparentwhen
thiskindofbehavioroccurs.ToLeslieskidstheyweresickoflookingatthisdrunk
lady,thatusedtobetheir[our]mom.Theirmomembarrassedthem,whichiswhatalot
ofchildrenfaceasaconsequencefromtheirparentsactions.Intheinterviewmentioned
before,Iaskedtheindividualwhattypesofeventsdidshemissintheirchildrenslifeand
herresponsewasasfollows:Allbirthdays,ofcourse,alongwithschoolstudiesand
activities.Becauseofmyactions,ourlifeasafamilywastornapart,andIwasntliving
anywherenearthem.Theyweresoyoung,andmorethanlikelytooyoungtobeableto
comprehendwhytheirmotherwasnotaround.Itistypicalforthisabsentnessof
parentalguidancetotakeplaceforachildwithaparentwhohassubstanceabuse
problems.Anotheremotionalconsequencethatistouchedonintheinterviewisthe
childrensconfusion.Withthemothergonebecauseofherproblems,andthechildrenso
young,itshardtounderstandwhyexactlyaparentisnotaroundasmuchorgone
completely.
Idecidedtopullinformationfrommanytypesofliteratureinordertoreally
comprehendmytopic.Itstoughtoseejusthowmanyfamiliesareimpactedby
substanceabusers.ThebooksandjournalsIreadprovidedagreatdealofbackground
informationonmytopic,inadditiontotheinterview.
Intheinterview,theindividualwasactuallymyownmother,whointhepasthas
hadsubstanceabuseproblemsandaffectedmyfamilygreatly.Thistypeofliteracywas
helpfulsinceitshowedthelatereffectsofaprevioususer,andalsothelongtermeffects

ithashadonherchildrenandfamilyingeneral.Theinterviewwasbiasedandanswers
weredirectedtopleaseheraudience(me).However,Idobelievethatthisinterviewis
stillagoodsupplementtomypiecesinceitshowshowmyownmothermanipulatedher
answerstopleaseme,butstillcontainedmomentsofhonestreflection.Sinceour
relationshiphadbeenruinedbecauseofheractions,shewantedtomakeitknownhow
awfulshefeltaboutthem.
Forthispaper,Iwantedtolookintotheactualconsequencesthatotherchildren
facesincesubstanceabuseisquitecommon.TheNetflixshowInterventionwasa
differentkindofliteraturethathadadifferentkindofaudiencethanofjournalsorbooks.
TVshowsaremostlytoentertaintheviewers,whichiswhatthisshowwantedtodo,
whilealsoinformingviewersofreallifeexperiencesanddetrimentaleffectsoffamilies
withparentalsubstanceabuse.Likementionedintheinterviewwhenyouaredeepin
youraddiction,ittakesoveryourlifeandunfortunatelythepowerofaddictionis
strongerthanamothersloveforherchildren.