Growing up, a child looks to their parents as role models. They look to them for support, from childhood through adulthood. They depend on their parents to guide them in the right direction and expect them to always be there for them. This all changes when a parent has a problem with substance abuse. It is estimated that about 25% of children, under the age of 18, are exposed to family alcohol abuse. Studies show that children who are exposed to substance abuse are more likely to develop depression or anxiety in their adolescence years, and use drugs or alcohol earlier on. If the child doesn 't receive help or support, it can lead to lifelong problems. There are many consequences that children face when they experience a parent with a substance
…show more content…
When children go through this, it is important that they have a positive influence in their life and someone they could feel comfortable talking to. That could include a therapist, a teacher, a school psychologist or a family member. Opening up to a strange person, in the case of a therapist or psychologist, can be scary and hard. It’s not easy, especially for a young child, to open up and show someone their heart and how they are feeling. If a child could agree to the suggestion of talking to someone, it is a tremendously healing experience. It may take a while to gain the trust of a child that has had such traumatic experiences, but once they do the experience is highly rewarding. As if the child is not dealing with enough at home, children have to worry about school on top of it all. Education at a young age for a child is crucial to their later years in education. At the elementary level, a child is learning all of the basic knowledge that they are going to have to use throughout the rest of their school years. Children dealing with parents who struggle with substance abuse, typically deal with a chaotic and loud living environment. Being in that environment for a child who is in school causes problems with studying or doing
When children go through this, it is important that they have a positive influence in their life and someone they could feel comfortable talking to. That could include a therapist, a teacher, a school psychologist or a family member. Opening up to a strange person, in the case of a therapist or psychologist, can be scary and hard. It’s not easy, especially for a young child, to open up and show someone their heart and how they are feeling. If a child could agree to the suggestion of talking to someone, it is a tremendously healing experience. It may take a while to gain the trust of a child that has had such traumatic experiences, but once they do the experience is highly rewarding. As if the child is not dealing with enough at home, children have to worry about school on top of it all. Education at a young age for a child is crucial to their later years in education. At the elementary level, a child is learning all of the basic knowledge that they are going to have to use throughout the rest of their school years. Children dealing with parents who struggle with substance abuse, typically deal with a chaotic and loud living environment. Being in that environment for a child who is in school causes problems with studying or doing