No person is immune to the far-reaching impact of addiction, and children are no exception. As The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA) explains, “A research study with 4,000 respondents estimates there are 3 million children in the UK living with parental alcohol problems.” Furthermore, when considering all types of drug abuse, this number becomes even more significant. While we all want to protect our children from the effects of addiction and other mental health disorders, it is safe to assume that their lives will be impacted by substance abuse in some way. Thus, educating your children about addiction and mental health must be a priority to ensure lasting health and well-being for your children.
We at PCP – The Perry Clayman Project understand how daunting it can be to discuss these topics with your children, especially if you or a close loved one has directly struggled with substance abuse. However, we also recognise that it is never too early to have discussions about addiction and mental health with your children. Moreover, our professionals can provide you with the therapy and life skills building that you need to thrive as a parent and share open and honest discussions about substance use with your children.
The Importance of Educating Your Children About Addiction and Mental Health
It is common for parents to experience ambivalence when discussing topics of substance use, substance abuse, addiction, and other mental health concerns with children. On the one hand, you may feel as if your children are too young or too immature to truly grasp or understand these topics. However, by leaving these topics discussed, your children are at a disadvantage in effectively understanding and navigating the world around them.
As mentioned previously, one of the main reasons why educating your children about addiction and mental health is essential is that they will inevitably be affected by these conditions – whether directly or indirectly – at some point in their lives. Moreover, many children grow up in homes where parents or siblings regularly engage in substance abuse. According to a publication by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), parental substance abuse produces direct negative effects on children.
In reference to the aforementioned statistic by NACOA, children living with parents with alcohol problems experience the following increased risks:
- Six times as likely to witness domestic violence
- Five times as likely to develop an eating problem
- Three times as likely to consider suicide
- Twice as likely to experience difficulties at school
- Twice as likely to develop alcoholism or addiction
- Twice as likely to be in trouble with the police
Further, SAMHSA also notes that children living with a parent with substance use disorder (SUD) are more likely to:
- Experience low socioeconomic status compared to children who do not live with a parent with SUD
- Have difficulties in academic, social, and family settings
- Experience increased risks of direct effects of parental substance abuse, such as parental abuse, neglect, or lack of involvement in the child’s life
- Engage in substance abuse or develop SUD or another mental health disorder
It is also important to note that while many children may not grow up in homes where substance abuse is present, they will inevitably become exposed to the effects of substance abuse at some point in their lives. For instance, as alcohol use is often normalised and encouraged in society, children may experience peer pressure to experiment with alcohol and other substances, regardless of their age.
Protecting Your Children From the Effects of Addiction
By educating your children about addiction and mental health, you are taking the necessary steps to best protect them from the effects of these conditions. You may consider using the opportunity to help your children understand that any hurtful actions or behaviours caused by loved ones under the influence of alcohol or other drugs are not their fault. Similarly, you may work to provide clear rules and expectations for your children regarding substance use as they age. Furthermore, educating your children can help to break hurtful stigma and stereotypes by acknowledging that everyone can benefit from professional support and guidance to establish lasting healing in their lives.
Key Points to Remember When Educating Your Children
Before educating your children about these topics, it can help to have a foundation of knowledge, both about addiction and recovery, as well as how to initiate age-appropriate discussions. To begin, you can reference publications by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to help you understand the facts about addiction.
NIDA defines addiction as “a chronic disease characterised by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences.” It goes on to explain that although most people’s initial decision to engage in substance use is voluntary, repeated substance use can inform lasting brain changes that interfere with self-control and other important functions.
Additionally, you may ponder the relationship between nature and nurture when it comes to your children’s risk of developing SUD. NIDA highlights a combination of factors that influence an individual’s risk of addiction, including:
- Their unique chemical makeup: Having a relative or parent with SUD or another mental health disorder can increase your child’s risk of SUD
- The home environment: Peer pressure, abuse, neglect, stress, and early exposure to drugs informed by your child’s home environment can also increase their risk of SUD
- Their development: The earlier your child engages or experiments with alcohol and other drugs, the more likely they will develop SUD
It is also necessary to inform your children that although addiction can pose immense complications to an individual’s life, treatment is available and recovery is possible. Those who are struggling with substance abuse can benefit greatly from participating in professional treatment programmes in the UK, like those offered by PCP – The Perry Clayman Project.
In addition to stating the facts, here are some other suggestions to keep in mind when educating your children about addiction and mental health:
It’s Never Too Early to Talk About Addiction
According to SAMHSA, “When parents talk with their children early and often about alcohol and other drugs, they can protect their children from many of the high-risk behaviors associated with using these drugs.” Whether your child is three or 13, it is never too early to talk about substance use and addiction with your children. While it may be a bit more complex to explain addiction to a young child, do not assume that they are too young or too immature to understand. You can challenge these notions by choosing age-appropriate language and using terms that they will understand.
For example, for young children, consider framing the conversation around candy. You can explain that although candy may be readily available, eating too much candy can cause complications such as a bad tummy ache, tiredness, or other symptoms of sickness. Similarly, if your child sees a friend eat too much candy, they can politely explain that they may endure consequences as a result. Furthermore, although other parents may allow their children to eat as much candy as they please, you’d like to limit how much candy your child eats to keep them as healthy as possible.
You can also encourage your child to tell you if they ever feel like they can’t control the amount of candy that they are eating. This lesson can be especially valuable as they age, as they will learn that they can come to you during moments of struggle. You can also consider framing the conversation through the lens of behavioural addictions, such as gaming, shopping, internet addictions, etc.
Educating Your Children With Open and Honest Discussions
Another suggestion when educating your children about addiction is to allow the conversation to flow. Promote back-and-forth discussions by asking questions, such as “Have you ever felt like you are unable to control how much candy you are eating?” Depending on your child’s age or level of awareness, you may also ask what they have heard about alcohol and other drugs, as well as addiction. Your child will likely ponder questions during your discussion, and it is important to address them as honestly as possible to promote a healthy dialogue and parent-child relationship.
Prepare Responses Ahead of Time
If you have personally experienced struggles with substance abuse or mental health disorders, you may feel overwhelmed if or when your child asks you about your experience. In this case, it can be helpful to prepare your responses ahead of time and recognise what details to leave for a later conversation. If you are currently in treatment, it can be valuable to let your child know for the sake of their own understanding and mental health. You can simply explain that you are working with health professionals to overcome temptations.
If you are currently struggling with substance abuse and are not participating in treatment, you may find motivation to pursue treatment while you are educating your children about addiction. While it is ultimately up to you when choosing how honest you’d like to be with your children about your experience, remember that children living with parents with SUD have increased risks of developing SUD and mental health disorders. By being honest, you can help your child recognise their risks and work to prevent the development of these conditions together.
Set Expectations
Yet another suggestion when educating your children about addiction and mental health is setting appropriate expectations for them. Pertaining to substance use, you can verbalise your expectation that they will not experiment with legal substances, like alcohol until they are of age. Furthermore, if or when they do choose to engage in alcohol use, you can make it known that you are a safe resource that they can call if they need a ride or otherwise find themselves in a potentially dangerous situation. You can also set clear boundaries for illicit drug use, as well as create consequences for them if you discover they are engaging in such substance use.
It is unrealistic to assume that your child will never drink alcohol or have curiosity about the effects of other substances. For this reason, it is vital to discuss the availability of treatment options if or when your child finds themselves struggling with recurrent substance use.
Pertaining to mental health, you can also set expectations for your child to be vulnerable and regularly discuss their thoughts and feelings with someone they trust. It is not uncommon for children to feel uncomfortable talking about their mental health with their parents. Thus, you can work with your child to designate a sibling, friend, or other loved one as a trustworthy person with whom they can talk about their feelings with.
Just as no person is immune to the effects of addiction, your child is not immune to emotional distress. Difficult emotions come and go. Emphasise to your children that emotions are temporary. Additionally, if they ever feel severely sad or depressed, their best solution is to inform you about it so you can help them get the help that they need to restore balance in their life.
Educating Your Children About Substance Use Trends Among Adolescents
When educating your children about addiction, it can also be helpful to discuss substance use trends among adolescents. These conversations can also touch on the universal experience of peer pressure as well as how to best avoid it.
In addition to alcohol, nicotine and tobacco are among the most common substances used by adolescents. According to an article by Tobacco Induced Diseases, an estimated 160,000 adolescents “in the UK were regular smokers by the age of 17 years, of whom more than 100,000 initiated smoking between the ages of 14 and 17 years.” As mentioned previously, the earlier your child experiments with substances like tobacco, the higher their risk for developing SUD throughout their lifetime. Thus, it is important to also discuss health harms related to specific substances of abuse, including nicotine and tobacco.
As the National Health Service (NHS) England notes, “Smoked tobacco in the form of cigarettes, pipes and cigars, together with all other forms of tobacco, present a major risk to oral health.” Not only that, but smoking can also inform the following health risks:
- Cancer of various organs, especially noting lung cancer
- Damage to heart and blood circulation, increasing an individual’s risk of:
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Coronary heart disease
- Worsening respiratory conditions like asthma or respiratory tract infections
- Can reduce fertility in both men and women
Informing your children about these health risks earlier than later can work to prevent them from engaging in activities like smoking and other methods of substance use, even when peer pressure is evident.
Educating Your Children With Support From PCP – The Perry Clayman Project
We at PCP – The Perry Clayman Project offer an abundance of treatment programmes for both substance addictions and behavioural addictions. From primary and secondary rehabilitation to third-stage supported housing, aftercare, and more, we are proud to offer a variety of resources to meet individuals where they are in their recovery journeys. We at PCP are dedicated to restoring health and well-being not only to those struggling with substance abuse but also to their family members.
In addition to individualised treatment, we also offer support for families. Our monthly support groups for families work to educate family members about topics including addiction and recovery, boundary setting, and effective coping strategies. These groups offer the opportunity for family members to discuss their own experiences, concerns, and accomplishments with other families walking the road of recovery.
Whether you are looking to pursue treatment yourself or find more resources on how to best discuss addiction and mental health with your children, we are here for you. We can create a customised treatment plan to honour your unique needs and goals for recovery, incorporating various therapeutic approaches and groups to ensure whole-person healing. Moreover, we can work to educate your children and best prevent the development of SUD, addiction, and other behavioural disorders throughout their lives.
Educating your children about addiction and mental health is an important responsibility of parenting. It is never too early to discuss these topics, as your children may be exposed to peer pressure or experience curiosity about the effects of a drug at a young age. By promoting facts about addiction, having open and honest conversations, setting boundaries, preparing your responses ahead of time, and acknowledging the value of professional treatment, you can work to prevent substance abuse and addiction in your children’s lives. At PCP – The Perry Clayman Project, we offer support for families, in addition to numerous treatment programme options, for those seeking recovery from substance and behavioural addictions. Learn more by calling 08000 380 480 today.