Hi lovely people. Anyone has any reliable data on how many addicts come from a relatively good upbringing? We got into debate at work today. My argument was that not everybody with horrible childhood turn to drugs/alco… Therefore this doesn’t indicate that most addicts have had a horrible upbringing and vice versa… Any articles floating around with statistics? Thank you
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From my understanding, there are more stats that show you’re more likely to be an alcoholic if you have alcoholic parents.
From the US NIH “children of alcoholics are about four times more likely than the general population to develop alcohol problems.”
Another stat of interest - 1 in 5 people in the US has a substance abuse disorder. That’s 20% of us, folks. We can’t all have been brought up badly!
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Very interesting went to recovery centre and some guy turned to me cause I look what you say normal and respectable and said someone like you should not be there. Darling I said addiction has no prejudices it f$#king takes anyone.
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I actually dislike the whole concept of “good family” and “normal” and “respectable.” It creates a whole suite of false concepts, like addicts should be down and out and living in the street, and that people with good genes don’t become addicted to substances.
My “good family” was a bunch of drunks. My dad was a high level manager at a big company, very successful, and my mom was a stay at home. Both alcoholics, but you’d never know from looking at them.
I’m a successful executive, and you’d never know from looking at me that I’m an addict. I live in a nice house, have a lovely partner, make a great income, drive a nice car. I’m as respectable as can be, but I’m a recovering alcoholic with a porn addiction.
The whole “respectable” and “normal” thing is a facade.
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My upbringing was really good for the most part, I come from a very closeknit family with parents who are in love and married 32 yrs. Though my dad partied in his early twenties, neither of them are alcoholics or have drug problems.
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I cone from a good family, went to a good school etc. But looking back, I was not given any emotional support, things like relationships and substances were not discussed, in fact there was not a lot of discussion at all. And everyone is escaping reality in one way or another whether it’s gambling, smoking or booze. I think the people least likely to become addicts are ones who are raised by people who are emotionally available, who let their children have opinions and discussions, and who model healthy relationships, and that can happen at any level of society.
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Addiction doesn’t discriminate brah.
Word.
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Maybe she means non tragic? Sometimes people going through abusive and traumatic childhoods that could lead them to substance abuse or seeing one or both of their parents abuse alcohol/drugs .
Not that I didnt have things I went through that I drank over but looking back the only thing my mom ever did was hover too much.She was very over protective and would go through all my things, show up places to check on me, embarass me by pretty much stalking me and putting a tracker on my phone but nothing “traumatizing” by alot of people’s standards.Did it cause me some emotional problems?definetely. It is what it is though. My parents also had alot of get togethers and I did have my first drink by stealing one from one of their parties, lots of kids do that though.
I think for me, I just loved the way it made me feel. Period.
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I think at this point it’s important to provide my definition of ‘good parenting’ as it has very little to do with ones financial circumstances. For me, good parenting is providing CONSISTENT emotional warmth, providing safe environment where a child can play, dream and grow. 
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You know, I think I was aware that you meant that @JustL , but I tend to get defensive about the whole “good family” thing. I know too many privileged people who just suck.
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Me too. I work with people with severe mental health issues and see a lot of messed up families from all walks of life, including wealthy ones… Well achieving families at times place a lot of pressure to succeed and too busy to meet child’s emotional needs. After all, money can’t buy you all x