Parents always worry about their kids – how well they’ll do in school, who their friends will be, what their careers will be when they grow up, and how healthy they’ll be. These are very natural and common worries of a parent! Alongside this, many parents worry about whether or not their children will develop a substance use disorder. These thoughts are certainly in the minds of parents who currently suffer, or have suffered from, an addiction themselves.
What we know from research is that 40-70% of the risk of developing an addiction is genetic. That is good news if you have never had problems with substance use, and bad news if you have. It’s not a sure thing, though. The good news for both types of parents is that a significant amount of the risk for substance use and addiction is environmental and therefore can be affected in a positive way.
Stress in childhood is a prevalent risk factor for substance use disorders. The stress pathways in the brain are activated during times of emotional, physical, sexual abuse, neglect, household instability, and poverty. Additionally, the earlier someone’s brain is subjected to substances, the higher the risk of developing an addiction.
Adolescence is a particularly important time in the development of the brain. A teenager’s brain is continuing to develop and one of the most important parts of the brain (the frontal cortex) is not mature until the mid 20’s. Drug and alcohol abuse in adolescence can damage the frontal cortex and inhibit the ability to reach their full potential, and rewire the brain to encourage use of substances.
Parents are the most influential people in the lives of their children, and that is especially true for addiction risk. Anything that can be done to reduce the stress in a child’s home will have benefits for the child and will reduce their risk of developing substance use disorders. Likewise, enforcing rules that delay the exposure to substances until the latest age possible will pay dividends for that child’s health, both physically and mentally.
