Understanding Children's Challenges in Addiction

Oct 4, 2024

Families in Recovery: What About the Kids?

Introduction

  • Host: Ken Kirschbaumer
  • Guests:
    • Carrie Bates: Three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Betty Ford alum, Senior Outreach Manager at Hazelden Betty Ford
    • Jerry Moe: Former National Director of Children's Programs at Hazelden Betty Ford

Focus of Discussion

  • Impact of family members' addiction and mental health issues on children.
  • Children's journey alongside their relatives in recovery.

Children's Experience and Challenges

  • Children often blame themselves for the addiction and mental health issues in the family.
  • Addiction is associated with isolation, silence, secrecy, and shame.
  • Children create stories to make sense of the situation if not explained appropriately.

Personal Experiences

  • Carrie Bates:

    • Grew up in an alcoholic home; blamed herself for issues.
    • Witnessed her children blame themselves during her own addiction.

  • Jerry Moe:

    • Emphasizes the genetic predisposition to addiction.
    • 75% in treatment have a positive family history of addiction.

Case Study: Chad

  • Chad, 10 years old, lives with his grandma; mother is an addict.
  • Attended children’s program; learned that addiction is not his fault.
  • Experiences bullying and exclusion due to his mother’s addiction.
  • Internalizes blame, thinking "What did I do wrong?"

The Cycle of Addiction

  • Addiction can be passed down through generations.
  • Recovery is a family affair; it spreads healing beyond the individual.

Hope and Recovery

  • Importance of teaching children about addiction in an age-appropriate way.
  • Use of terms like trapped, hooked, and stuck to explain addiction.
  • Emphasizes separation of the person from the disease.
  • Collaborated with Sesame Street for younger children on defining addiction.

Hazelden Betty Ford Children's Programs

  • Aimed at helping kids understand addiction and recovery.
  • Offers hope and understanding that they are not alone.
  • Previously campus-based, now available virtually due to COVID.
  • Open to all children, not just those with family in the HBF system.
  • Free signup available; resource-rich website.

Conclusion

  • Children's programs provide critical support for breaking the cycle of addiction.
  • Importance of reaching out and accessing these resources.
  • Healing is possible and can stop the generational cycle of addiction.

Resources: Hazelden Betty Ford website: www.hazeldenbettyford.org