The Suffering of Children of Addicted Parents
There’s no question that those who are addicted suffer greatly. Their suffering is physical, mental, moral and spiritual. Right along with any addicted parent is his (or her) children who suffer through their own struggles.
The struggles of these children range from not being fed, clothed or suitably housed to losing their lives from unthinkable abuse. It’s just a simple fact that addiction is terribly hard on children. Our society knows this which is why there is a rapid response from most law enforcement offices and social services agencies to get children into a safe place while their parents are sorted out.
Parents Who Overdose
One of the most difficult situations for a child is being present when a parent overdoses. Recently, news services have covered several situations where law enforcement found small children with an unconscious parent. These events have so shocked some law enforcement agencies that they have published images from these rescues to the internet.
The first image to arrive was the four-year-old in the back seat while his grandmother slumped unconscious in the front seat. The grandmother’s boyfriend had been rushing her to the hospital because he realized she was overdosing. On the way, he passed out himself. A police officer happened to be nearby when their car came to a stop. Both adults survived.
In a story without such a happy ending, police were called to a home in Birmingham, Alabama to aid a man and a woman who had overdosed. The man passed away before they arrived but they were able to revive the mom. There were four children in the home, including a one-month-old baby who fell asleep on a police officer’s shoulder.
Children Exposed to Drugs
A pitfall of having prescription drug abuse in the home is the possibility of children getting their hands on the pills. A new study in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics reports that more than 13,000 children have been poisoned by painkillers like OxyContin and Percocet between 1997 and 2012. One hundred seventy-six of these children died.
Very small children who will put anything in their mouths and children over ten who wanted to experiment with drugs were the prime groups to come to harm.
The study likened these drugs to guns being kept loose in the home and recommended better education of patients. But if a patient has become fully addicted to pills, there is eventually a deterioration of faculties that could easily mean that this education would not help keep their children safe. When a child is no longer fed and treated in a loving manner, his household is likely to be dangerous in other ways.
The Solution
The solution is not only drug rehabilitation, it’s drug rehab that is effective in putting addiction far behind in favor of a successfully sober life. Consistent sobriety gives children a better chance of a well-cared-for life. And their parents can thrive once they have the skills to weather life’s ups and downs.
If you are concerned about a parent who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, or about a person without children, please call us and find out how we enable individuals to build new sober and successful lives.
Call us today
Your loved one can be on the road to recovery as soon as tomorrow
Call 1-800-468-6933
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-ohio-heroin-overdose-20160909-snap-story.html
