How Parental Substance Use Negatively Impacts Children

As a parent, your first priority is to keep your children safe. But protecting their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being may be more challenging than you expected, especially if you find yourself embroiled in a child custody dispute.

One issue that often comes up in custody disputes is parental substance abuse. Although those who are struggling with a substance use issue shouldn’t be demonized, their issue should be brought to light when it has implications for a child’s well-being.

How exposure to parental substance abuse affects children

Exposure to parental substance abuse can have a profound impact on children. Here are some of the ways your children could be harmed by observing or simply being aware of parental substance use:

• Suffering from an inability to concentrate and learn due to residing in a chaotic environment.
• Experiencing an increased risk of being abused or neglected at the hands of an intoxicated parent.
• Difficulty developing and maintaining strong and healthy relationships due to disruptions at home that are attributable to substance abuse.
• Socially isolating due to the shame associated with having an addicted parent.
• Developing behavioral issues spurred by uncertainty and instability in the home where substance abuse occurs.
• Developing anxiety and depression due to issues at home and unpredictability.

Don’t let your children be subjected to a harmful environment

Exposure to parental substance abuse puts your children at risk. As scary as that can sound, you have the ability to protect them through your custody case. So, before heading into negotiations or litigation, be sure to have evidence that supports your position and your children’s best interests. Hopefully then you can secure an outcome that protects them to the fullest extent.