There are many problems in our world, but one big problem at the moment is substance abuse, substance abuse is when someone overindulges and depends on an addictive substance that most of the time is either alcohol or drugs or sometimes even both. Substance abuse can affect you in many ways physically and mentally, it can contribute to anger issues, constant irritation, and even multiple mental health issues including depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and many more.
Substance abuse doesn’t just affect you though. Having kids while substance-abusing in any kind of way can not only affect them but also affect you during the pregnancy and your kids years into their future. Being a substance abuser and having kids can contribute to them becoming one themselves. According to A Mom’s Story of Generational Addiction – generational substance abuse is real and genetics are a big part of it. “According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, genetics can account for about 50% of a person’s risk for addiction, while environmental factors—such as home and family—also play a role.” In this story, Holly talks about how as a child she saw her parents using drugs, which led to her using and getting addicted and eventually even her son. They both went through recovery together and talked about how things got better for them.
Children of substance abusers don’t just end up abusing drugs because they see or know their parents do, hereditary is a big factor as well… According to Rutgers Researchers Delve Deep Into the Genetics of Addiction, genetics contributes heavily. “Research suggests alcohol addiction is about 50 percent heritable, while addiction to other drugs is as much as 70 percent heritable.” Genetics isn’t the only important factor when it comes to generational substance abuse. Another big part of substance abuse is mental health. It has been proven that certain mental health illnesses and disorders do run in some families. Although it’s not guaranteed that you’ll have the same mental illness as your parents, it is very likely. While mental health is not always hereditary, it does contribute a lot when it comes to generational substance abuse.
Genetics are not the only reason generational substance abuse is real. According to Understanding Generational Cycles of Addiction, “Environmental influences, learned behavior and personality traits might also contribute to addiction.” Kids tend to watch and do what they see. When they are exposed to something like that they start to think it’s okay and because their parents are doing that maybe they should. “Children exposed to parental drug or alcohol abuse and potentially harmful situations have a high probability of behavioral problems, often leading to substance experimentation.” As a kid, when you see your parents or any significant person in your life doing something, you’d think to try that and as you get older, that curiosity intensifies. Especially because having parents who do substance abuse can lead to many problems at home, kids tend to find some way to cope with that kind of stuff. “They may also have more access to illicit substances, prescription drugs, or alcohol.” Learned behavior can have as big of an impact on kids, teens, and even adults just as much as genetics can.
Even if it is difficult or scary, if you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse you should reach out to someone trusted or someone who can help you. Although recovery is hard, with the right help anybody can do it. There are multiple ways to start recovery. Whether that be meetings, rehab, or even just talking to a counselor and seeing what led you to substance use and going from there. Recovery is possible and in the end that’s up to you. Genetics and risk factors can’t make out who you are, that’s something you have to decide yourself. Make your choices and break that cycle.