Resilience Is Key for Children of Addicts
Children living with people who have drug and alcohol problems usually suffer on a number of social, physical and psychological levels. A research group in the U.K. has developed suggestions for protecting these children from the negative aspects of their parents' substance abuse.
The study, published in the journal Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, highlights the factors and processes that make children more resilient to the negative impacts of parental drug or alcohol misuse. These include improving parenting techniques, helping the child learn to disengage from negative situations and support from school, family and other networks.
"Resilience is really a process rather than a static trait and it is possible, especially for young people, to develop greater resilience to negative situations," said Lorna Templeton, senior researcher at the Mental Health R&D Unit at the University of Bath. "In practice this means working with family members who can help look after the children, teaching the child how to avoid problems, helping them learn how to disengage from negative, and embrace the positive aspects of their life, and looking for other stabilizing influences."
Self-Perpetuating Resilience
"Resilience is self-perpetuating, but a central issue in its success is giving children the feeling that they had choices and were in control of their lives," Templeton said in a news release.
"Children whose parents misuse drugs or alcohol often demonstrate the negative effects of this through emotional difficulties, behavioral problems and social isolation," said aid Professor Richard Velleman of the MHRDU. "This can lead to depression and anxiety, or involve early drug or alcohol misuse and antisocial behavior."
"While it is easy to become pessimistic about the future of children brought up in these kinds on environments, we find in practice that some children are resilient; they develop no significant problems related to their parents’ substance misuse."
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Comments
In the second-to-last paragraph of this, many negative consequences of parental substance misuse are named, but one–the most preventable, the least reversible and most devastating to the growing child is the brain damage that comes with prenatal alcohol exposure. Recent, solid research reveals that one out of 25 people have some degree of brain damage (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) from prenatal exposure. The symptoms are AD/HD-type behavior, learning disabilities, mood swings, poor memory and reasoning, among others. Thanks for hearing this out.
In the second-to-last paragraph of this, many negative consequences of parental substance misuse are named, but one–the most preventable, the least reversible and most devastating to the growing child is the brain damage that comes with prenatal alcohol exposure. Recent, solid research reveals that one out of 25 people have some degree of brain damage (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) from prenatal exposure. The symptoms are AD/HD-type behavior, learning disabilities, mood swings, poor memory and reasoning, among others. Thanks for hearing this out.