When the fierce dragon roared into their homes, the children were terrified.
Some fled into the forest to hide. Some froze and pretended they were invisible. And some became angry and fought to exhaustion to protect themselves and their families, although they were no match for the terrible beast.
Substance use disorder truly IS a family disease, and children living in homes where one or more of their caregivers suffer from it ARE affected. Not all children are impacted the same way: different temperaments, birth order, and support systems outside the family make a difference. The resources below explore how kids’ development, thinking, and behavior both in and out of school may be affected by the disease.