Are You a Codependent Parent? Discovering that your child is experimenting with drugs or alcohol may be one of the hardest things that you ever have to confront. Many parents struggle to provide their children (no matter what their age) with the help he or she needs to combat substance abuse due to their level of emotional involvement. This often results in codependency, a situation in which the parent ignores his or her own needs in order to focus on the needs of their child while they are suffering from an addiction.
Likelihood of the Child Being Codependent
Codependent parents may exhibit a number of characteristics, such as giving children money when they know it will be used to purchase alcohol or drugs, failing to discourage children from engaging in dangerous activities, and looking away when the child exhibits signs of substance abuse or other reckless behaviors. Over time, the child will realize that they can depend on the parent for their financial needs without the risk of consequences—ultimately causing them to become codependent on the parent as well.
Increased Risk of Continued Addiction
When you continue to provide your child with the money they need to support their addiction, make excuses for their behaviors, and turn a blind eye to the consequences, you increase the chances that your child’s addiction will continue or reoccur later in life. In this way, co-dependent parents actually advance their child’s addiction rather than help lead the child towards the road to recovery.
