My parents were heroin addicts ask me anything

[Addictschild]

I spent time in care and was lucky enough to be in a long term foster home . But my first 11 years were in the hell of a heroin addicts life .

Ask away :-) no issues here

Thanks OP x

Thank you all for giving me a chance to open up hope it helps someone somewhere down the line .
Hope I’ve answered all the questions

What’s everyone’s impressions of children of heroin addicts ?
I've probably met and spent time with about 20 our 30 children whose parents were heroin addicts, mostly professionally. I don't really have one impression. Their own personalities, experiences and circumstances can be as varied as children of patents who aren't heroin addicts. A lot of them have some very sad moments and for some of them the impact of their first year or 2 is very profound.
I have a good friend who stayed with her mum throughout. One of the most inspiring people I know

What’s everyone’s impressions of children of heroin addicts ?

Growing up as the child of an alcohol addict, I only have love and support for anyone else who made it through those days. I think it’s brilliant that you can talk about it, there are people who will judge you and assume you will be cut from the same cloth but they are people who can’t/won’t ever even try to understand.

My question is : do you know how to feel happy? I often don’t. If I start to feel happy, a little feeling of dread comes in and a voice says “the moment you feel happy it will all go wrong”. I can’t tell if it’s the childhood or just me.

Evilmorty
Yes I definitely have that too . I feel I’m not supposed to be happy or lucky .but I make my own happen by helping other people ,being generous at any given opportunity ,doing meaningful jobs and having a simple life . I do feel things will go wrong any second but I have to hold it down .

What’s everyone’s impressions of children of heroin addicts ?

I don't know anybody who I know for certain had addicted parents, but I think my impression would be to feel that if they'd made a success of their life, how strong they were and if they hadn't made a success of their life and had demons, that it was no wonder. So either way, admiration or compassion. I think I would expect them to carry that scar, but not like, right there on their sleeve, just that if you got to know them, that wound would be there. My smaller wounds have held me back so I feel pathetic in comparison, so I guess it also makes me feel that I should have been stronger sooner. Hope that makes sense..

Funcklesmuck
Is my story similar to yours

similar question i asked funklemuck , do you think there was any underlying reason your mum went from "normal" drug experimentation, to becoming an actual heroin addict and why they were never able to give up.

I spent a few years in my youth injecting amphetamines and was a peripheral part of very dodgy cuture/society. I got into it because a previous boyfriend had glamorised it to me which broke down my barriers, and then my next boyfriend was a full on addict and by that time i was curious. I just went almost straight into the lifestyle, but it was never "me" and I did manage to stop eventually, but i have seen many friends die, and i have seen and experienced some horrible things.
I often wondered what the outcome was for some of the little children I saw that were in and out of care because their mothers who loved them so much, were in far too deep with shitty men and had no concept of how to care for anybody else, but just kept getting pregnant and in a cycle of havng their kids removed and returned, and removed and returned. Im really reassured to hear of 2 people today that shunned it all. I have often felt like those kids never stood a chance. I'm a bit bemused by why I just accepted the things I saw and experienced without too much questioning, but in adulthood now my children (I was clean by the time i had them) have all been diagnosed with asd or adhd, and I strongly suspect I have these things too and possibly so does my ex, and tbh, I can see it in a lot of that part of society. I am aware undiagnosed conditions and the social alienation these bring, can make people really vulnerable to addiction

I think heroinncan be addictive from that first high and some people just don’t stand a chance with it . It’s so powerful you never get past that rush or reach another high quite like it so I’m told . Yes I suspect a lot of addicts prisoners etc have a higher percentage of asd adhd where they’re more likely to be impulsive combined with strong emotions , socially vulnerable lots of reasons where they feel they don’t quite fit into the “norm” or struggle with relationships and employment , thereby drugs offering an inviting alternative lifestyle where they can opt out of society .

i dont think anything can be physically addictive from trying once - people have diamorphine for medical reasons for all sorts of reasons and come off it perfectly well, but some people who are looking for escape are vulnerable to becoming pyschologically addicted to anything that gives them a buzz or an escape which can be gambling, sex, heroin - heroin does become physically addictive though. Ive never tried it, but ive tried methadone once and it was clear to see why people get into it, as it was a very loved up relaxed feeling like nothing else mattered much. I would never take it again for that reason. Ive known far too many people try, then it becomes an occasional treat, then a weekend thing, and then before they know it theyre doing it every day and become full blown addicts and its just awful. I think psychological addictions are far worse to get over than physical