Codependency as a Drug-Related Problem

Drug addiction doesn’t only affect the user—it also negatively impacts the people around them, most especially the ones that truly care for him. For a child who grows up in a home where drugs are routinely used and abused, it can leave him with a variety of long term mental, emotional, and even physical problems.

Children of drug addicts often have deep levels of insecurity—they often feel frightened, ashamed, and insecure. Some may have even experienced violence or abuse. The fact that an addicted parent may disappear for days or weeks on end because he or she is chasing the next drug score, in court, in jail, or in treatment, leaves children with nowhere to go. If the parent his home, there may be mood swings, rage, or sleeping episodes that last for long periods, leaving the child feeling ignored and neglected.

This is why children of addicts develop a different type of addiction: codependency, or the excessive emotional dependence on a person. A codependent person will find his relationships often one-sided, almost always giving significantly more than what he’s getting.

The good news is that the vicious cycle of codependency can be broken by being aware of its source. Knowing that your codependency is rooted in your childhood experiences can be the start of your road to recovery. Attending support groups and rehab programs that will help you learn news ways of relating to other people can be a great help toward this goal.