LilyVasey

UWRT1103
Ms.Blandford
November4,2015
EffectsofSubstanceAbuseonParenting
SubstanceabuseisaproblemintheUnitedStates,andworldwide,thataffects
boththeuserandthepeopleorenvironmentaroundthem.Oftentimespeoplefocuson
whatdrugs/alcoholdoesdirectlytotheactualuser.Unfortunately,theusersalsohavea
largeimpactonthelivesaroundthem.Therearemanyconsequencesofparentalsubstance
abuseincludingbehavioral,medical,educational,andemotional.Inaninterviewwithan
individualwithpastsubstanceabuseissues,shereportedthatwhendrugs/alcoholbeginto
takeoverapersonslife,thepowerofaddictionisstrongerthanamothersloveforher
children.
InasurveytitledtheNationalLongitudinalAlcoholEpidemiologicSurvey
publishedbytheNationalInstituteonAlcoholAbuseandAlcoholism,resultsshowedthat
approximatelyoneinfourchildrenintheUnitedStatesundertheageofeighteenlive
withafamilymemberwhoabusesalcohol(Lam2009).Tome,thisproportionispretty
large,andthisisonlycoveringalcoholabuse,excludingothersubstanceabusers.Itis
quitecommonforparentswhohavesubstanceabuseproblemstoalsohaveproblemswith
violence,divorceandunemployment.Therehasbeensignificantevidencethatboth
maritaldissatisfactionanddivorceratesareasmuchasseventimesgreaterinalcoholics
thanthegeneralpopulation(Newcomb2005).

TheNetflixseriesInterventionisarealityseriesaboutdifferentaddictsandthe
impacttheirillnesshasonthosearoundthem.Inoneparticularepisode(Ep.9),the
mother,Leslie,isanalcoholicwho,atthetimeoftheintervention,stilllivedwithher
husband.Unfortunately,herbehaviorwastoocruelandextremelyinappropriate,
especiallyforherthreeyoungchildrentobewitnessing.Leslieevenknewthisisnot
goodandIdontlikemykidsseeingthisannoyingmess,whenreferringtohermessy
lifeingeneral.Shewasnotabletocontrolherdrinkingandknewofthis,butdidnotand
couldnot,doanythingaboutit.Thefatherevenhadtohavehiskidsleavetheirown
houseuntilaftertheintervention.Hesaid:IfeelhorriblethatIhavetosendthekids
outofthehousebecauseofLesliesbehavior.Thistelevisionshowhadmanydifferent
episodes,allinvolvingsimilarissueswithsubstanceabuse.
Accordingtostudiesbyinterventionprogramsforwomenwithsubstanceabuse
issuesandtheirchildren,childrenareatgreaterriskforimpairedphysicalgrowth,
development,andhealth,poorcognitivefunctioningandschoolperformance,emotional
andbehavioralproblems,psychiatricdisorders,andsubstanceusethemselves(Sword
2012).Medically,childrenwillfaceconsequencesfromparentswithsubstanceabuse
problemssuchaslowerimmunizationratesandroutinedentalcare.Inmyinterview
mentionedbefore,Ihadasked,Whatkindofhealthissueshaveraisedbecauseof
substanceabuseissues?andreceivedtheanswermajordepressionandchronic
pancreatitis.Forthisindividual,duringhertimeofsubstanceabuseshewasunableto
careforherchildrenbecauseofallofherroutinedoctorappointments,dentalcare
appointments,andalotofotherthingsthatbecameabiggerprioritythanherchildren.

Whenaparentexperienceshealthissues,itistypicalthatitwillalsoaffecttheirchildren
sincealotoftheirtimewillbespentdealingwithhis/herownproblems,especiallyif
theyreinbadcondition.Withlackofgoodparentalguidance,childrenmaydevelop
differentlythanthoseofchildrenwithparentswithnodrug/alcoholissues.
Anotherexampleofmedicalconsequencesisthechanceofbirthdefects.For
maternalparentswhoabusesubstanceswhilepregnant,inparticularalcohol,canleadto
FetalAlcoholSyndrome.FetalAlcoholSyndrome,orFAS,consistsofacombinationof
facialdysmorphia,severeandpersistentgrowthdeficiency,centralnervoussystem
dysfunctionwithmentalretardation,andotherdefects(EffectsofParentalSubstance
AbuseonChildrenandFamilies).Evensmallamountsofalcoholconsumedbya
pregnantmothercanhaveaneffectonachildsneurologicaldevelopment.Itwasalso
foundthattherehavebeenhigherratesofunwantedpregnancieswhenhavingproblems
withsubstanceabuse.Typicallyresultinginabortions,thisisanothermajorconsequence
thatcanresultfromsubstanceabuseinparents.
Asachild,gettinggoodgradesordoingwellinschoolingeneral,isamajor
priority.Thepeoplethatsurroundyougrowingup,especiallyparents,influenceyour
behaviorandthedecisionsyoumake.Infact,childrenfromsubstanceabusingfamilies
aremorelikelytohavelearningdisabilities;repeatmoregrades;attendmoreschools;and
aremorelikelytobetruant(EffectsofParentalSubstanceAbuseonChildrenand
Families).Growingupinaharshenvironmentcanbequitedetrimentaltohowachild
develops.Yourhomeshouldbeaplaceofsafetyandaplacetofeelhappy,butwhen

livingwithaparentwithsubstanceabuseproblems,goinghomejustmeansmorestress
andsometimesevenafeelingunsafe.IntheInterventionepisodepreviously
mentioned,theoldestchild(about14)saysthateverydayisalongdayforusbecause
oftheiralcoholicmom.Childrenbecomephysicallyandemotionallydrainedfromthe
eventsthattakeplaceathomeswithparentalsubstanceabusers.Oftentimesitshardto
focusordowellinschoolforthesechildren,alongwithbeinghardtoparticipatein
outsideschoolactivities.
Thebiggesttollthatchildrenfacewhenhavingparentswithsubstanceabuse
problems,istheemotionalconsequences.Again,inInterventionthemotherLeslie
mentionsthatshecantbethereforher[children]physicallyoremotionallybecause
alcoholbecamemoreimportanttoher.Herbehavior,likemostsubstanceabusers,was
veryinconsistent;sometimesshewasangry,orupsetandsometimesshewashappyand
loveable.Unfortunatelyforchildrenitbecomeshardtoeventrusttheirownparentwhen
thiskindofbehavioroccurs.ToLeslieskidstheyweresickoflookingatthisdrunk
lady,thatusedtobe[their]mom.Theirmomembarrassedthem,whichiswhatalotof
childrenfaceasaconsequencefromtheirparentsactions.Intheinterviewmentioned
before,Iaskedtheindividualwhattypesofeventsdidshemissintheirchildrenslifeand
herresponsewasasfollows:Allbirthdays,ofcourse,alongwithschoolstudiesand
activities.Becauseofmyactions,ourlifeasafamilywastornapart,andIwasntliving
anywherenearthem.Itistypicalforthisabsentnessofparentalguidancetotakeplace
forachildwithaparentwhohassubstanceabuseproblems.

Anotheremotionalconsequencethatistouchedonintheinterviewisthe
childrensconfusion.Withthemothergonebecauseofherproblems,andthechildrenso
young,itshardtounderstandwhyexactlyaparentisnotaroundasmuchorgone
completely.Shestatedhowherchildrenweresoyoung,andmorethanlikelytooyoung
tobeabletocomprehendwhytheirmotherwasnotaround.Itcantakeabigtollona
childsemotionallife.Inpsychologywelearnabouttemperament,whichissimplyjust
howachildreactstosituations.Achildstemperamentissomethingthatgenerally
remainsstablethroughouttheirlifeandsoifachildgrowsupinanunstableenvironment
theymaypermanentlyaffectedjustbecauseoftheirparentsbaddecisions.
Idecidedtopullinformationfrommanytypesofliteratureinordertoreally
comprehendmytopic.Myjournalsandbooksourceswereveryinformative.They
supportedmypaperwithfactualevidenceandbackgroundinformation.Ibelievethat
majorityofthearticleshadanaudiencethattargetedolderandmorematureindividuals
whomwereinterestedinthesimilartopicIwas.Ayoungkidwouldnotbeabletoread
anyofthearticlescriticallyanddecipherwhattheycantakeawayfromthereading.I
couldnotreadilyfindcomprehendibleliteratureforyoungerchildrenwhileconducting
myresearch.MostofthepiecesIhadpickedoutformyresearch,forexamplethe
EffectsofParentalSubstanceAbuseonChildrenandFamilieshadsimilarmessages,
simplybecausethatiswhatIwaslookingfor.Ineededtofindarticlesthatwouldanswer
myquestionsabouttheeffectsofsubstanceabuseonparenting.Iwasanexampleofa
primarytargetaudienceinmyopinionbecauseIhadahistoryofhavingfamilyissuesin
substanceabuse.Whenachildisaffectedbysomethingdetrimentaltohisorherlife,

oftentimestheywillbecomeinterestedinlearningabout,orhowthesamethingalso
affectsotherpeople.
Intheinterviewmentionedbefore,theindividualwasactuallymyownmother,
whointhepasthashadsubstanceabuseproblemsandaffectedmyfamilygreatly.This
typeofliteracywashelpfulsinceitshowedthelatereffectsofaprevioususer,andalso
thelongtermeffectsithashadonherchildrenandfamilyingeneral.Theinterviewwas
biasedandanswersweredirectedtopleaseheraudience(me).However,Idobelievethat
thisinterviewisstillagoodsupplementtomypiecesinceitshowshowmyownmother
manipulatedheranswerstopleaseme,butstillcontainedmomentsofhonestreflection.
Sinceourrelationshiphadbeenruinedbecauseofheractions,shewantedtomakeit
knownhowawfulshefeltaboutthem.ItwasthroughdifferenttypesofliteracythatIwas
abletoresearch,reflectandconnectinordertoanswerthequestionsIhadaboutmy
topic.ItwasalsodifferenttypesofliteracythathelpedmetoovercomemyobstaclesI
hadwhenexperiencingtheeffectsofsubstanceabuseonparenting.Knowingthatthere
wereotherchildrengoingthroughthesimilarsituations,sometimesworsethingsthatI
had,helpedmetoalsogetthroughthem.
Forthispaper,Iwantedtolookintotheactualconsequencesthatotherchildren
facesincesubstanceabuseisquitecommon.TheNetflixshowInterventionwasa
differentkindofliteraturethathadadifferentkindofaudiencethanofjournalsorbooks.
TVshowsaremostlytoentertaintheviewers,whichiswhatthisshowwantedtodo,they
wantedtopleaseandalsoinformtheiraudience.Eachepisodehadadifferentstory,but

allthesimilarmessageofinformingviewersofreallifeexperiencesanddetrimental
effectsoffamilieswithparentalsubstanceabuse.Byhavingadifferentsituationforeach
episode,theaudienceisbeingpresentedbyadifferenttypeofliteratureeachtime.Just
likehoweachbookinaserieshasadifferentmessageorsituation,sodoseriesinashow.
Especiallysincetheepisodesintheshoweachhaveadifferentcast,thesituationis
alwaysdifferentandIwantedtoincludeapiecelikethis,specificallyonanepisodeI
foundmostrelevantandsupplementalformyresearch.Likementionedintheinterview
whenyouaredeepinyouraddiction,ittakesoveryourlifeandunfortunatelythe
powerofaddictionisstrongerthanamothersloveforherchildren.
WhenwritingmyliteracymemoirIhadspokenalotabouthowmymom
impactedmychildhood.IalwaysthoughtthatIturnedoutawellroundedpersoneven
afterallIhadbeenthrough.Then,afterwritingyetanotherpiecerelatingtosubstance
abuseIrealizehowmuchmypastreallyaffectedme.Obviouslymymomsdecisions
wereneversomethingIwasabletounderstand,andit'satoughsubjecttotalkaboutbut
throughdifferentliteraciesIwasabletoconnect.Ialwaysfeltbadtobeembarrassedby
myownmother,especiallysincesheissupposetobemyrolemodelandagoodguidefor
medownmyliteracypath.Withmyresearch,especiallyIntervention,InoticedthatI
wasnottheonlyonefeelingthewayIdoandthattherearesomanychildrenthathave
beenaffectedbyparentsthataresubstanceabusers.Luckily,IthinkIhavedecidedto
lookatmyexperiencesinanoptimisticway.Maybeshewasagoodrolemodel;she
showedmejusthowmylifecouldbecomedetrimentalifeverinvolvedwithsubstance
abuse.Plus,sheinawayintroducedmetodifferenttypesofliteracies,likementionedin

myliteracymemoirIbecameinterestedinmusictohelpmegetthroughpain.Now,when
needingtowritepapersIalwayshadmorequestionsanddifferentaspectsIcould
researchabouttheideaofsubstanceabuseandIamabletoexploreothertypesof
literacies.