Pubdate: Thu, 11 Jul 2002
Source: Herald-Times, The (IN)
Copyright: 2002 The Herald-Times
Contact:  http://www.hoosiertimes.com/mv-to-top/index-ht.php3
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1498
Author: Cindy Houston
Note: This guest column was written by Cindy Houston, community relations, 
Center for Behavioral Health.

PARENTS SHOULD EVALUATE THEIR OWN DRUG USE AND HOW IT AFFECTS CHILDREN

The fact that teens are using substances is not news. In our community, for 
instance, there has been much publicity about the use of Ecstasy.

(Ecstasy is a "club drug" - young persons often use it in connection with 
partying. It is methylenedioxymethaphetamine, or MDMA, and creates a "rush" 
in the user that may be experienced as pleasurable. Initially thought to be 
harmless, it impacts mood regulation, affects memory on a permanent basis 
and may destroy the body's ability to regulate its temperature, leading to 
death.)

Many teens, particularly those who display significant problems in life, 
also use substances in a problematic manner. What may be news is that there 
is clear evidence linking the pattern of use in parents to the child's 
substance use.

The genetic predisposition to addiction is well established. There is 
increased risk if one side of a person's family has issues with addictions, 
and an even higher risk if both sides of the family have members with 
addictions. "Problem" use also depends on the addictability of the 
substance used (it's easier to get addicted to nicotine, crack and heroin 
than to marijuana).

Age at first use is also a factor. Teens are starting to use at earlier 
ages, even before adolescence begins, meaning they have a longer time to 
"practice" usage - increasing the odds of becoming problem "users." It also 
means they have fewer alternative tools to affect judgment, moderation of 
use, peer selection, impulse control, etc. Drinking before the age of 15 
gives one a four-times greater chance of being alcoholic than if one waits 
until 21 to drink. Forty- seven percent of adults who report drinking at 
the age of 13 meet criteria for chemical dependency.

What do teens learn from parents who problematically use substances? They 
learn it is OK to medicate oneself. If life is hard, if life is painful, 
the option to reduce that pain by taking a substance is perceived as 
acceptable. Problematic use by definition affects life areas such as work, 
home, school and family relationships. Problematically using parents set 
standards for the teen that such behaviors are acceptable.

We tend to surround ourselves with people who use substances like we do. 
Parents who "use" will likely be around other adults who do, reinforcing 
the message that problematic use is normal.

The clear message is that "everyone does it." Since marijuana and many 
other substances are illegal and less-than-honest behavior is practiced by 
people who doctor-shop for continuing access to pills, parents are teaching 
teens that adherence to some laws is optional; it is acceptable to 
exaggerate or fabricate stories to get new prescriptions. Certainly parents 
who use with, and/or supply, their children are breaking the law with every 
use.

Another major issue is the relationship between substance use and child 
abuse/neglect cases in this country. The National Center on Addiction and 
Substance Abuse at Columbia University in New York estimates that 70-90 
percent of all cases of child abuse/neglect accompanies problematic use of 
substances by parents.

In families where parents problematically use there are higher rates of use 
by teens and no model of responsible use. Patterns that we know help teens 
transition into successful adults are often missing. There is a noticeable 
lack of quality communication, consistency and parental supervision. Teens 
in these families report a perception that the parents are less concerned 
about their welfare.

One can easily imagine the difficulty in suggesting that a teen change 
his/her use when s/he returns home every night to a parent who uses 
problematically. Since all research-approved interventions for teens in 
trouble with substance use involves some form of family participation, 
imagine the difficulty of trying to help a child stop using when one or 
both parents continue to use.

One of the major difficulties with substance abuse is the person using is 
often the last one to recognize that usage has become problematic. It's 
easy to presume your usage is normal, the same as others around you, and no 
big deal.

If you are a parent using substances, even though you may believe you are 
using appropriately, please stop and review your use. Take a break from 
using for the summer. See if not using makes a difference in how you feel, 
how you interact, how you communicate. Test yourself on how hard or easy it 
is to go without for several weeks/months.

Look around and see how involved with substances your social life is - are 
substances always present, does everyone you know use? Talk to a health 
professional. If you're concerned, see a licensed mental health 
professional who specializes in substance abuse and ask for an evaluation. 
Be certain of your use. Remember, it affects the ones you love.
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MAP posted-by: Beth