As a social worker specializing in family dynamics affected by substance abuse, I’ve noticed a troubling trend in recent years. Every week, my phone rings with calls from concerned grandparents, their voices filled with worry and uncertainty. They’re not just concerned about their adult children battling addiction – they’re deeply anxious about the wellbeing of their grandchildren living in homes where substance abuse casts a long shadow. The opioid epidemic and rising rates of alcohol abuse have created a generation of children at risk, with grandparents increasingly finding themselves in the role of primary caregiver. According to recent statistics, over one million grandchildren in the United States are being raised by their grandparents, primarily due to parental substance abuse. These grandparents are truly unsung heroes. They’re facing the heartbreak of watching their own children struggle with addiction while simultaneously stepping up to provide stability, love, and care for their grandchildren. It’s a challenging journey, often fraught with financial strain, emotional turmoil, and the physical demands of raising young children later in life. One grandmother I spoke with recently, let’s call her Margaret, shared her story. “I never imagined I’d be raising a 7-year-old at 65,” she said, her voice a […]
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