Life can bring you many challenges and one of the biggest of all is living with parents who have addictions. It’s happening more and more, particularly when it comes to alcohol and can affect not only our childhood, but our entire life.
Of course, a big question many have is that if your parents are addicts, does that mean you are too?
It can be a big question and cast a real shadow over one’s life, as though they are destined to struggle with the likes of alcohol too and require a rehab clinic and a life of sobriety in order to stay healthy.
The truth is, that isn’t the case. Despite it being important to recognise parental addiction, it absolutely does not determine your own fate as an addict. And here’s why…
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Your your own individual
Genetics and environment do play a part in a person’s susceptibility to addiction, but at the same time there is also the power of choice. Just because parents may struggle, you can also shape your own life’s trajectory, taking a more positive outlook and be much more self-aware of your emotions and using much healthier coping mechanisms.
Using their addictions as a deterrent
Often children learn from their parents, and the destructive effects that addiction can have can serve as a powerful deterrent. The pain, chaos and dysfunction that addiction can often bring can be a real source of motivation to prevent the same happening to our own children. Therefore, instead of replicating that behaviour, you’re more likely to take a different path, a path that’s characterised by sobriety, stability and well-being.
Seek support from professionals
People who are suffering as a result of their parents’ addictions can also seek support from professionals or support groups to fully process emotions and confront any trauma head on. This in turn allows people to process everything much more efficiently, and forge a pathway that involves healthier coping strategies and a life without substances so prominent.
Creating a Supportive Environment
By recognising a parent’s addiction, you can surround yourself in a more supportive environment, essentially safeguarding yourself against addiction. By cultivating a strong support network or friends, mentors and loved ones, you can mitigate the risks associated with parental addiction by having a stable and nurturing environment elsewhere.
Personal Growth and Self-Development
Finally, adversity has the power to really be the catalyst for personal growth. Think of many of the world’s great business leaders, popular singers, sports stars and when it comes to the elite, it’s often a career born out of overcoming adversity.
You can use your circumstances as the springboard for transformation, embracing the challenging and setting meaningful goals to ensure that you live your life in a more positive manner. By focusing on yourself and your development, you can transcend the limitations that parental addiction can cause and create a lifestyle that reflects your own values and aspirations.
That isn’t necessarily easy to do, but just because you have grown up in an environment where addiction is prominent, it doesn’t mean you have to follow that same pathway.