...nonexistent or inconsistent. Children, who may not understand that their parent’s behavior and mood is determined by the amount of alcohol or other drugs in their bloodstream, can feel confused and insecure. They love their parents and worry about them, and yet feel angry and hurt that their parents do not love them enough to stop using. Many children who are raised by parents who abuse alcohol and other drugs are not neglected, but children raised in such circumstances are four times more likely to be neglected than other children. Substance abuse is a difficult situation for anyone to deal with, but the problem is compacted when children are involved. Parents who are substance abusers may knowingly or unknowingly be causing a number of problems for their child. Substance abuse is a difficult situation for anyone to deal with, but the problem is compacted when children are involved. Parents who are substance abusers may knowingly or unknowingly be causing a number of problems for their child. Emotional effects that children of substance abusive parents may experience are to blame themselves for their parent’s overall drug or alcohol abuse, thinking that they are not good enough and force their parents to use drugs or alcohol. There is a higher occurrence of depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicide attempts among children growing up with substance abusive parents compared to children that grow up with parents who do not abuse substances. The child might develop stress-related...
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...Parental Substance Misuse: An Exploration of the Impact of Substance Abuse on Children 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background and Problem Definition It is beyond debаte thаt the use or misuse of substаnce hаs severe impаct on the well being of children. The term substаnce refers to both the illicit аnd non illicit forms of drugs. The use of substаnce by а pаrent becomes misuse when the pаrent in question uses it to the level where the usаge becomes hаzаrdous for both the behаviour аnd heаlth of the pаrent аs well аs the life of the children involved. The hаrmful behаviour in the pаrent hinders the pаrent’s аbility to tаke good cаre of their children which is the children’s fundаmentаl right (Forrester 2011, p. 4). The pаrentаl substаnce misuse hаs physicаl, behаviourаl, sociаl аnd emotionаl or mentаl consequences for the children. Parental substance Misuse is a major issue that has captured the attention of social worker and professional as well as policy makers with regard to wellbeing and needs of a child (Murphy & Harbin, 2003, p.354). The National Treatment Agency (2012, p.3) notes that over 50% of the total adults undergoing drug treatment in 2012 were parents of which a third (66,193) were living with children under the age of 18. Out of these, those who live with their children are 40,852 while those who live with children who are not theirs are 25,341. While not all parents with substance misuse problems harm their children, past research evidence has indicated...
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...LORNA J. TEMPLETON2 1 Birmingham and Solihull Substance Misuse Services and School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK and 2Mental Health Research and Development Unit, University of Bath, UK and Avon Witshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust Abstract Alcohol and drug problems affect not only those using these substances but also family members of the substance user. In this review evidence of the negative impacts substance misuse may have upon families are examined, following which family-focused interventions are reviewed. Several family-focused interventions have been developed. They can be broadly grouped into three types: (1) working with family members to promote the entry and engagement of substance misusers into treatment; (2) joint involvement of family members and substance misusing relatives in the treatment of the latter; and (3) interventions responding to the needs of the family members in their own right. The evidence base for each of the three types is reviewed. Despite methodological weaknesses in this area, a number of conclusions can be advanced that support wider use of family focused interventions in routine practice. Future research needs to focus on (1) pragmatic trials that are more representative of routine clinical settings; (2) cost-effectiveness analyses, in terms of treatment costs and the impact of interventions on costs to society; (3) explore treatment process; and (4) make use of qualitative methods. In addition, there is a need...
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...HOW SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AFFECT RELATIONSHIPS Substance use disorders leave many lasting effects that touch upon every member of families and society as a whole. It is an ever-growing epidemic that can easily take over a person’s whole life if they let it. Anyone who listens to the news or is aware of his or her surroundings can see that we are engulfed in a drug crisis. This paper will examine how the relationships of friends, family, co-workers and society suffer from exposure to an addict. It will also look at how we as a society can help to foster reform. Addiction touches everybody in some way, shape or form. It affects people physically, psychologically, and financially to name a few. Substance use disorder negatively affects emotional...
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...Maternal Substance Abuse During Pregnancy The choice to use drugs is just that—a choice. Pregnant women who make the conscientious decision to abuse substances shall realize that when they chose to use drugs, they assumed responsibility for the natural consequences and shall be held accountable for their own actions by law. It is fair to assume that the mother also made a choice to be sexually active, allowing the opportunity to become pregnant; and, regardless of whether or not she planned the pregnancy, she allowed the pregnancy to come to term. “Children, like all people, have the right to be free from having drugs introduced into their systems by others,” (Merrick, 1993). For the reason of choice and this reason, the rights to freedom, there shall be criminal penalties for mothers who give birth to substance-exposed infants. Janna Merrick (1993) accurately stated that, “pregnancy is unlike any other medical condition in that care must be provided simultaneously for both the woman and the fetus.” Because a fetus is unable to protect or fend for itself prior to birth, it becomes the mother's obligation to do so for their unborn child. Mother’s that are unable to properly care for their child in utero are clearly unfit mothers from the very start; and, adding any form of substance abuse to that mix only puts the child at greater risk for medical complications and suffering post delivery. If, as a society, we work to reduce the incidence of maternal substance abuse by prosecution...
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...Running head: ADDICTION AND FAMILIES 1 The Effect of Drug and Alcohol Addicts on the Family Brandy M. Foster Wilmington University Introduction Many families have one or more family members that are struggling with and/or overcame an addiction, whether it is drugs or alcohol. There are many programs that are established to help addicts, but there are very few programs that actually assess the effects that a family member’s addiction has on the family. The purpose of this paper is to identify how family members of drug and/or alcohol addicts are affected by the actions of those drug and/or alcohol addicted members. I’m interested in this topic, because I have family members who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol and I want to see what ways I may have been affected by the actions of my addicted family members. My father was a drug addict for majority of his life and died as a result of it. All of my life, my father has been in and out of jail because of drug related charges and my immediate family and I experienced him getting high in our home and walking around hallucinating and being in a constant state of paranoia. He would walk around our house closing blinds, turning off lights, turning the volume all the way down on the television and constantly peeking out the windows. One time he and my uncle were in the hallway of our trailer supposedly fighting devils in the air that he saw by creating flames in the air using a certain spray and a lighter...
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...(Schroeder & Fals-Stewart, 2006, p. 10). However, drug abuse tends to affect people of all socioeconomic status, race, age, and gender. The economic effect of substance abuse is estimated at $414 billion in 2001, and $109.9 billion is drug use (Schneider Institute, 2001). Drug abuse affects the drug user, the family, the job, and the very life of the abuser. The negative effect of drug abuse on family members is serious enough that there are many support groups available to family members of drug addicts. Support groups help family members better understand the drug user and equips the family with the tools necessary to emotionally and financially deal with the drug user. Effects of Drug Abuse on Families Substance Abuse: The Nation’s Number One Health Problem Schneider Institute for Health Policy Children of substance abusers are more negatively affected than the parents of children who abuse drugs. Drug abusing parents face legal consequences, including imprisonment, divorce, and their children removed from the family household. Parents who abuse illegal drugs are 59% more likely than non-abusers to have psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, antisocial personality disorders, and depression (SAMHSA, 1999). This shows a clear link between psychiatric disorders and substance abuse. Parents with substance abuse, both alcohol and drugs, tend to be more irritable, overly harsh in discipline, low involvement in the children’s activities, and poor parenting skills. ...
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...limbic system also regulates our emotions, both good and bad ones. The two structures of the limbic system are amygdala and the hippocampus. They both play important roles in memory. The amygdala determines what memories are stored and where they are stored within the brain. This determination is based upon the response that is brought up during the memory. The hippocampus sends memories out to the correct parts of the brain, for long term storage of memories. The hippocampus is also responsible for recovering those memories when necessary. Motivation for Drug Use Drugs have the ability to literally change a person’s brain. Excessive drug use can shrink a hippocampus and bring about schizophrenia. It is not only the limbic system that gets affected, but also the cerebral cortex and even the brain stem. The motivation to abuse drugs starts with the pleasure signals that are located in the limbic system. Drug use evades all the five senses and goes straight to the reward and pleasure circuitry found in the limbic system and gives a...
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...psychological issues in children as well as in adults. I want to understand why someone acts or reacts the way that they do. However, after some research and experience with those affected, what I have found most intriguing is what's behind the behavior and what causes it. There are many things that can factor into these issues but among these, abuse and neglect are very large contributors. Many studies have been done on the effects child abuse can have. The first study I came across is a study of how violence can affect a child not only when they are young, but also in to adolescence. It is also said that many of the children who witness domestic violence have also experienced some form of child abuse. These events can effect a person's psychosocial outcome so tests were performed to determine to what extent the child was affected. The study was conducted on 457 children/adolescents. According to the Journal of Family Violence, children that were only exposed to domestic violence were more prone to low self esteem, withdrawal, depression and anxiety. Those who were exposed to violence as well as abuse had higher externalizing (acting out against others, including physical aggression, verbal bullying, relational aggression, defiance, theft, and vandalism) and internalizing behaviors( acting out against self, which includes eating too much or too little, feeling depressed, abusing substances and cutting). There were also tests done on children who were exposed to child...
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...Impact and Relationship of Substance Abuse and Child Maltreatment: Risk and Resiliency Factors What Research Tells Us Martha Morrison Dore, Ph.D. Columbia University School of Social Work 622 West 113th Street New York, New York 10027 212/854-5461 Paper prepared for presentation at the conference entitled “Protecting Children in Substance Abusing Families,” September 28, 1998, sponsored by the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, University of Minnesota School of Social Work, Minneapolis, MN. Researchers are just beginning to demonstrate empirically what child protective services workers have been observing for nearly two decades now: many, if not most, families who come to the attention of the child welfare system are involved with drugs or alcohol or both. Founded cases of child abuse and neglect have risen exponentially since the mid-1980s, when the crack form of cocaine, a cheap, easily used form of the drug, became widely available. Studies conducted since that time have identified substance abuse as a contributing factor in 40% to 80% of substantiated cases of child maltreatment (Curtis & McCullough, 1993; Magura & Laudet, 1996; Murphy, Jellinek, Quinn, Smith, Poitrast, & Goshko, 1991). Further, studies of substance abusing parents have found child-rearing beliefs and attitudes that heighten risk for child abuse (Williams-Peterson et al., 1994), as well as elevated rates of first-time reports to child protective services (Jaudes & Ekwo, 1995), re-reports...
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...abnormalities. Those born with FAS often have behavioral and learning difficulties. The consequences of the damages caused by the mother's drinking is lifelong (Wattendorf & Muenke, 2005). To date, there has been no extensive population-based studies done (Vaux & Chambers, 2012). However, data in one sample demonstrated that approximately 1 in 100 children have alcohol-related effects. In high-risk pregnancies, predicted incidences of fetal alcohol syndrome are approximate and differ because of varied definitions of heavy drinking and inconsistent methods of diagnosis. For this reason, rates range from 4% to as much as 44%.The estimation of FAS in the United States is 1-2 cases per 1000 live births (Wattendorf & Muenke, 2005) . Fetal alcohol exposure is the leading known cause of mental retardation in the Western world. The term Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was first published in a 1973 article in the British medical journal The Lancet (O'Neil, 2013). A group of psychiatrists and pediatricians at the University of Washington Medical school collaboratively defined the defects and developmental delays that can affect children born to alcoholic mothers. They observed both pre- and postnatal growth. Those observations included pre- and postnatal growth defects, minor facial anomalies, and damage to the developing brain...
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...There are several reasons why and what substances like alcohol is used for. Some use it to commemorate a special occasion or a special moment. Some individuals may use it to relieve themselves when they are feeling weighed down. Individuals tend to use alcohol in different situations. They could drink while alone, around others, or in a social environment. When an individual faces everyday challenges in their daily life it could cause alcohol use to become a problem. A person will tend to become dependent on alcohol when having increasing issues with their emotional and physical health. Betty Ford is a case of substance abuse and alcoholism that became a famous case. Throughout this essay I will discuss Betty Ford and her issues with substance abuse and alcoholism. I will also analyze the biological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components of the disorder from substance abuse. Client Description Current Description Betty Ford grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan as the youngest of three children and the only daughter to father, William Bloomer, and mother, Hortense Neahr (The National First Ladies’ Library, 2012). Although Betty’s experiences growing up were both positive and pleasant, her mother was a perfectionist who had exceptionally high expectations for her children, and her father was a traveling salesman who very rarely spent time at home. When Betty was 16 years of age her father passed away. Because her father rarely spent time at home, it wasn’t until...
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...2013 Substance Abuse and Pregnancy Women are incredible creatures. Women have the incredible ability to aid in the development of a new life within a matter of months. Whether a pregnancy is wanted or unplanned the process of development for the young zygote nestled within the mother’s womb is still phenomenal. The developing bundles of cells are very vulnerable from the very start to the end of a pregnancy. The progress of development for the zygote is a delicate one than can be interrupted or slowed down by many internal and external forces. The forces that can interrupt development can range from biological to environmental. The woman carrying the child is responsible for not only her life but the life of her unborn child. Many activities a mother engages in, the unborn child engages in as well. Activities that the mother participates in can be harmless such as listening to music or enjoying a healthy snack. Unfortunately, some activities are not beneficial for the new life. A mother who participates in substance abuse is putting herself and her child at risk. Substance abuse during pregnancy can have adverse effects on the mother, the unborn child, and raises an ethical dilemma. The online Merriam Webster dictionary states that “Autonomy is self-directing freedom and especially moral independence” (Merriam-Webster). Autonomy is a freedom that many individuals can exercise but it takes a rational individual to do so responsibly. The use of substances is an...
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...reduce the effect of drugs on an individual and the society as a whole. The effects brought about by the abuse of drugs are many and well known to us. Some of these effects include, destruction of the human character, a person’s dignity and autonomy is destroyed, the sense of responsibility is swept away, drugs subvert productivity and there is loss of memory affecting to the greatest extent students. Legalization generally means removing a legal prohibition against something that is currently not legal. (Dictionary.com) Then by legalizing drugs; we will be making the sale and use of drugs which is currently illegal to be legal. The sale of drugs will be done freely on every corner of our streets just like candy without anyone bothering the other. Legislation advocates deny that the amount of drug use would be affected, I conquer with the opinion, making drugs legal will increase their availability and use. For instances, “when powder cocaine was hard and expensive to get, it was found in the circles of the rich, famous and privileged”. (William J Bennett) There is an argument that legislation of drugs will reduce the number of street crimes in our streets. Research has proven otherwise. Most drug criminals on our streets were into crime well before they got involved with drugs. Legalizing drugs won’t stop these criminal from because they will continue their criminal activities to cater for their bills and needs. By keeping drugs illegal we maintain the criminal sanctions that...
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...meeting because I can somewhat relate to what most of these people are going through. The members consisted of parents, a few children, and significant others of the substance abusers. Most of the parents had young teenage substance abusers although there were a few parents with older children in their late twenties or thirties. When the parents spoke, I felt bad for them. They really wanted to do something to help, but nothing seemed to work. All I could think of was my son. Imaging what I would do if he became addicted to and drugs or alcohol. Then the children spoke of their parents being addicted to drugs and how it affected them. I could hear and see the hurt thinking of when I was in both situations. My partner and I smoked marijuana for a several years. I never thought it was an issue and never really thought it affected anyone. I still functioned as normal and didn’t let it interfere with my everyday life. I didn’t feel the need to stop because I didn’t look at it as a drug. It wasn’t until I quit that I noticed the affect it had when dealing with my partner. The funny thing is at the meeting I still thought to myself that the marijuana was minor compared to the substances the members of this group spoke about. Not one person complained about their partner or relative having issues with marijuana use. They spoke about much harsher substances like cocaine, heroin, meth or MDMH; and some prescription medications like oxycontin, vicodin, and Demerol. It didn’t matter...
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