1 in 5 children grow up in a home with adults with a substance use disorder.
Children of parents struggling with addiction are more likely to have issues with anxiety, depression, confusion and anger.
*According to the National Association for Children of Addiction
They are also more likely to struggle with addiction themselves when they grow up. This shows how addiction can affect families across generations. But it isn’t the only cause of childhood trauma.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)—Understanding the Past, Improving the Future
The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study measures 10 common types of trauma that can happen to kids. These include:
- Having a parent with an addiction
- Divorce
- Domestic violence
- Homelessness
- And more
The study examines how these experiences can affect kids’ physical and mental health as they grow up. And year after year, it shows that kids with a high impact score are more likely to face problems later in life, including:
- Dying 20 years sooner on average
- 4.5x more likely to become depressed
- 7x more likely to develop alcoholism
- 10x more likely to abuse drugs
- 12x more likely to commit suicide
- 32x more likely to have learning and behavior problems
Knowing an ACEs score can help us understand what someone is going through and predict future challenges, so we can find the right kind of support and healing.
If you or someone you know is affected by a parental addiction, help is available.
Take the ACEs Test
The test can be beneficial for both children and adults, helping to identify the impact of life experiences on long-term health.
- For adults: Understand how your past may still affect you today.
- For children: It can help adults know how to support children for a better future.
More Information
For more information about additional behavioral health resources in Cecil County, please visit Find Help.
Dialogue: the antidrug
If you’re a concerned parent, have regular, nonjudgmental conversations with your child or teen about drug and alcohol use. Warn your kids about prescription drugs that are not prescribed for them—a medicine prescribed for a friend or relative is not safe.
Do:
- Tell them the dangers of using drugs and alcohol, using age-appropriate explanations.
- Explain why you don’t want them to use drugs. For example, explain how drug and alcohol use interferes with young people’s concentration, memory and motor skills, and that it leads to poorer school performance. Tell them you wouldn’t want these outcomes for them.
- Make it easy for your child to talk honestly with you. Also, make yourself available when your child wants to talk—no matter the time of day or the other tasks you face.
- Believe in your own power to help your child avoid using alcohol and drugs.
Don’t:
- Don’t react in anger—even if your child makes statements that shock you.
- Don’t expect every conversation to be perfect. They won’t be.
- Don’t simply demand that your children not do drugs. Instead, educate them about the risks so that they will be equipped to make decisions about drug use based on their own knowledge.
- Don’t talk without listening. Aim for a 50-50 conversation—you talk half the time and listen the other half.
- Don’t make stuff up. If your child asks a question you can’t answer or wants information about something you’re unsure of, promise to find the correct answer so that you can learn together. Then follow up on that promise.
How to protect your children from drug use:
- Engage in quality family time.
- Communicate openly.
- Provide other positive role models.
- Set clear rules and consequences.
- Offer engagement in positive activities.
- Be involved in their school and community.
Preventing teen cannabis use
What parents and loved ones can do.
Parents and other guardians are the #1 influence on teens’ behaviors. Know how to use that power to keep your kid on the right path.
First, it’s never too soon to talk about it.
Even if you’re not worried about your teen at the moment, influence and temptation will only grow as they get older. But, if you do find they’re using cannabis/THC, be sure to address it in a calm manner.
Why should you care?
Despite changing attitudes toward cannabis use nationwide, it can still have serious negative effects on teens.
- Early and regular use is linked to attention, memory and learning problems.
- Teens in general have fewer inhibitions — and that can quickly turn responsible use into reckless use.
- Cannabis affects judgment and motor skills, which is incredibly risky for new drivers.
Safe storage for adult cannabis users.
We’re not here to judge, but we can help you use cannabis safely and keep it out of the wrong hands.
- Avoid using cannabis around or in front of youth, including your own teen, their friends or any young relatives.
- Don’t smoke or vape indoors.
- Keep all cannabis products locked, out of sight and out of reach.
Know the signs of use.
- Mood changes
- Loss of interest in school or activities
- Changes in grades
- Changes in sleep habits
- Poor coordination, red eyes, acting strangely or foolishly
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
If you’re concerned, talk with your child’s pediatrician or school counselor, or utilize local community resources. If it’s out of hand and you think it’s time for intervention, you can call the 24/7 Cecil Addiction Treatment Coordination Hotline at 443-245-3257.