What Children of Addiction Need to Know | COA Awareness Week
What children of addiction need to know is that it’s not their fault. To that end, NACoA is celebrating Children of Addiction Awareness Week (COA Week) February 10 – 16 this year. A 501 (c)(3) Membership Organization, the National Association for Children of Addiction (NACoA) has been working for over 30 years “to eliminate the adverse impact of alcohol and drug use on children and families.”
“1 in 4 children live in a family affected by parental addiction.” (NACoA.org)
But it only takes one caring and understanding adult to change a child’s life. As NACoA writes on their “Families” page,
Whether you are a professional who provides services to families, a teacher concerned about a student, a neighbor wondering how to make a difference in the lives of the kids living across the street, or a coach looking for information to help one of your players, we’re here to help. Are you the non-using parent concerned about your family, or a grandparent who lives hours away yet worried every day about your grandchildren? Maybe you are an older sibling off to college but nervous about what is happening at home. NACoA offers resources for anyone interested in providing support to children living with parental alcoholism/addiction, and their parents.
What Children of Addiction Need to Know
NACoA explains that the most important thing children and teens need to know is that it is NOT their fault. In fact, there is nothing children can do or say or not do or say that will change what a parent who suffers from addiction thinks, feels, says or does to their child or to anyone else, for that matter.
To help children and teens understand why this is so, take some time to read through NIDA for Teen’s website section, “Brain and Addiction.” There you will find links to the following:
- Your Brain
- How does your brain communicate?
- How do drugs affect your brain?
- What is drug addiction?
- What factors increase the risk for addiction?
- Can you die if you use drugs?
- Are there effective treatments for drug addiction?
- How do I know if someone has a drug problem?
- What should I do if someone I know needs help?
- Where can I get more information?
In the right column of this same page, you will find links to the various drugs, including alcohol, as well as the option to view the entire site in Spanish.
After you’ve taken some time to go through this information, you will be better able to help a child or teen understand just what is happening/has happened to their parent because of their parent’s addiction.
From there, I urge you to take time browsing through NCAoA’s website. There you’ll find so much help and information, whether you are a parent, child of an alcoholic, grandparent, social worker, primary care doctor, teacher, of the faith community, someone involved with the juvenile justice system, another family member, or friend.
Two other resources that can help you in your conversations with children of addiction are:
- NIDA’s “Drugs, Brains, and Behaviors: The Science of Addiction“
- NIDA’s “Principles of Effective Treatment“
And please know, I am more than happy to answer questions via email, at lisaf@breakingthecycles.com, or by phone at 916-241-3288. There is no charge.
Lisa Frederiksen
Latest posts by Lisa Frederiksen (see all)
- Does a Loved One Have to Hit Bottom? - November 20, 2022
- Resources for Parents of Children with Substance Use and Mental Disorders - October 18, 2022
- 4 Things to Support Brain Health and Function for Recovery - August 30, 2022