Our schools focus on drug awareness campaigns of “Just say No,” but what about the child that says no and is suffering from feelings of abandonment from the actions of the addict. Our First Responders have to deal with an increase in overdose calls, but what about the trauma they encounter when a child is on the scene of an overdose? The caseworker that has to remove the child from the home? The exposure to the indirect addict’s behavior can cause impairment in the teachers and responders to function efficiently within their own homes.
Their daily job duties cannot always be left at the office. They are then expected to come home to their families after witnessing an overdose of a parent or a child in class that is neglected. This stress can take a toll on their own mental health…. in turn affecting their relationships with their children.
The ripple effect is never ending. Addiction destroys more people than just the addict.