Motherhood is one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges that a woman can take on in her life. No one will deny that it’s extremely stressful - but some women cope with this stress through means that can become addictive and destructive.
Years ago, the Rolling Stones had a hit with “Mother’s Little Helper,” satirizing housewives who used pills to get through the day. However, addiction among mothers is no laughing matter, as seen on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show. In Utah, the number of women admitted to treatment centers increased 144 percent between 2001 and 2002. And the “mother’s little helpers” have gone from prescription pills to more serious drugs - recent reports show an increasing number of suburban moms are addicted to crystal meth.
The consequences of these addictions are, to say the least, severe. According to a study by the University of Buffalo Social Work Facility, mothers tend to punish children more heavily when they have drug and alcohol problems. The study looked outside the range of behavior that could be construed as child abuse, demonstrating that mothers who drank or tried drugs reacted more extremely to situations involving their children’s behavior, often relying on harsh language or spankings as a way of dealing with their children while impaired.
Many of these mothers came from families where their own parents dealt with addiction. “There is evidence that these victimization histories may contribute to their alcohol- and drug-abuse problems, which, in turn, contribute to the style of punishment they use with their children,” the study said. “And since substance abuse is linked to victimization and violence, it is critical that the interacting chain of events be interrupted.”
Mothers who abuse drugs while pregnant can interfere with their children’s cognitive development, and often prove to have difficulties as caregivers even after reducing their drug use, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Is it possible for an addicted mother to get clean? In 2005, Dr. Robert J. Ackerman, Director of the Mid-Atlantic Addiction Training Institute, told a mother who’d been addicted to crystal meth for 12 years that “with the right treatment and support, the answer is yes.” Ackerman went on to explain that addicts need to find a new way to live. “Often, addicts think the world is ‘normal’ when they are high and have difficulty handling every day life with out their drugs,” Ackerman said. “Thus, becoming ‘normal’ will take on an entirely different meaning in recovery for addicts.”
For addicted mothers, it is possible to get clean - but also to make sure that they’re prepared to face the world that’s waiting for them once they get clean. It’s a situation that requires both intense treatment and a period of recovery to make sure that the treatment sticks. Staying off drugs is a lifelong choice, one that affects not only a mother, but her children as well. A woman who’s accepted the challenge of motherhood needs to be ready to face another, equally-difficult challenge - protecting her mind and body for the sake of herself and her children.
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