Facts
Feelings
Deep Thoughts
Getting Help
Behaviors
100
Do a lot of kids have a parent or family member who has problems with alcohol or drugs?

1 in 4 kids live in a family where someone has an alcohol problem. 1 in 8 children (8.7 million) aged 17 or younger lived in households with at least one parent who had a past year substance use disorder (SUD).

100

How do kids feel about having a parent who is addicted to drugs?

  • embarrassed, angry, or sad about a parent's substance use
  • worried about their parent's health or safety
  • worried for themselves, siblings, or their other parent
  • scared, alone, or unsafe at home
  • frustrated when their parent doesn't change
100

What can happen to kids when they grow up if their parents abused drugs?

People who have parents with substance use problems are at higher risk of having these problems too. A support group or therapy can help you learn how to avoid this risk.

100

What kinds of help is there for adults who are addicted to drugs?

100

How might kids act if their parents are addicted to drugs?

  • try hard not to upset a parent who drinks too much
  • try to stay out of a parent's way
  • may not speak up, or ask for what they need
  • keep their feelings to themselves
  • keep their parent's problem a secret
  • hide what their life is like at home
200

Is it ever the kid's fault if a parent relapses as a result of their addiction?

200

What might kids worry about when their parent is addicted to drugs?

Living with a parent who has a substance use problem is hard. It can affect how you feel and act. It can affect your family life too. What it's like is different for each person.

200
What can happen to adults who are addicted to drugs?
200
Is it a kid's responsibility to help their parent stop their addiction?
200

How might kids act when their parent relapse as a result of their addiction?

300
What kinds of kids have parents who are addicted to drugs?
300
How might parents feel when they realize that their kids know that they are addicted to drugs?
300
Why do people use drugs?
300
What are some reasons kids might not tell others that their parents are addicted to drugs?
300
How might kids act around drugs if their parent was addicted to drugs?
400
Who is to blame for a parent's addiction? Is it ever a kid's fault?
400
How do parents who are addicted to drugs feel about their kids?
400

Why don't people who are addicted to drugs just stop using drugs?

400

What are some reasons why kids might not talk to others about their parent's relapse as a result of their addiction to drugs?

Some people learn not to speak up or show emotion. They worry it may trigger a parent's drinking or substance use. Habits like these may help you survive tough times at home. But they may not work in other parts of your life. Being able to speak up, say how you feel, and show emotion helps you have good relationships in the future.

400

How might others act around kids after their parent relapse as a result of their addiction?

500

What is addiction? How does it affect the brain?

An addiction is an urge to do something that is hard to control or stop. Because of the way drugs work on the brain, they affect the ability to make healthy choices and decisions. Even drinking makes people more likely to get involved in dangerous situations, like driving under the influence. 

500

How might kids feel whose parent relapse as a result of drug addiction?

500
Do parents who are addicted to drugs love drugs more than their kids?
500

How come some parents still continue to use drugs even after they have gotten lots of help with their addictions?

500

What are some of the hardest things for kids to talk about after a parent relapses as a result of their addiction?

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