Addiction is a tough thing to get through, whether you are the one that is addicted or you are dealing with the addiction of a family member. That’s one of the important things to remember; addiction doesn’t just affect the addict. It can hurt everyone else that is close to them.
As a parent, the people that will likely be hurt the most by your addiction are your children, no matter how old or young they are. The actions you take when you are drunk or under the influence of drugs can cause permanent damage to your family.
Time Away In Rehab
Probably the best thing that could happen to you, as a addict that is a parent, is that you go away for some time in rehab. Rehab services can do a lot for a person when it comes to recovering from addiction, and it could be the one thing that helps you keep your family together, and helps you get your life back in order.
Hopefully, a rehab like Arista Recovery in Paola, KS or similar ones in your area would be the answer to your prayers with their different programs. Otherwise, you might just find yourself going to jail when you cause an accident or hurt someone, because of your addiction. You could also hurt yourself. There are so many factors when it comes to addiction, and even rehab doesn’t always turn out to be the answer for everyone.
Change In Your Attitude
Addicts tend to have a different attitude, both on and off their drug of choice, than they did before they got addicted. You may be OK when you are sober, but angry when you are drunk, or it could be the opposite. You might not realize when you are taking your aggressions out on your children, and your addiction could cause you to be a neglectful parent as well.
When you are high you may pass out and leave a little one unattended. They could get into something, even your drugs, and end up in the hospital, or worse. While accidents happen all the time even in clean households, this type of accident could land you without any parental rights.
Could Lose Your Children
Yes, your addiction could cause you to lose custody of your children. In fact, depending on what happens in your case, you could be condemned from seeing your children all together. That is one of the prices addicts pay when the drugs or alcohol takes over and become more important than their children.
Addiction is a mental illness, but you need to accept help in order to get better for your kids. You need to be able care for your children and stay focused on them in order to be a good parent. And, you need to take care of yourself so you can be a part of their lives, in a good way.