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I'm 23 and I've seen my 6 year old daughter only a few times. My daughter's mother is going away to jail for 3 years and she wants me to take care of our while she's gone. I'm willing to give my everything for her and do everything I can to make things good for her, but I won't give up the dope. Is there any way in hell I can be a good dad and still be a junkie?
| Yes | 21 | |
| No | 40 |
depends on the drug, a parent can be a good one on something like marijuana, but cocaine, (or something like that) hm, not so much.
Yes it is possible, the drug war is sad. However there are really real risks you must make yourself aware of that could potentially jeapordize your parenting. Like drug seeking behavior, frequent traffic in your home or frequenting dope houses. You need to ensure that your home and life is stable and not neglect your responsibility to clothe feed and provide for your child. Some drug addicts are careless irresponsible and place themselves at risk. The problem is world today blames drug users and berates drug use, where does this end? They not only criminalize street drugs they criminalize legal drug use and legal alcohol use. Child protective services and law enforcers/social workers will remove your child if you give them reason to suspect your using or neglecting your child just know that. Safeguard your child from the system and yourself. Look at the world we live in and how backwards people who are privileged think. Alcohol is just as bad if not worse than drug use. Do you have good family and friends to help you? What class of people will you be exposing your child too. All of these are important issues and you need to consider and take precautions to minimize harm like any other good parent. Your doctor could prescribe you stimulants or pain killers that may have adverse reactions or addictive potential. Does that mean that you are unfit to parent, I don't think so. So many parents are stupid and don't consider who or what they expose their child that do not use drugs or alcohol.
One thing I might add regarding your attitude about your drug use. The fact that you are unwilling to cease your drug use no matter if that means not being able to raise your daughter is not a good frame of mind. If you decide to take up this huge responsibility than you need to be willing to do whatever it takes to do it. That means that your are willing to do whatever it takes in her best interest including finding a solution to fix the harm. Maybe you can work more and find a physician willing to treat you legally it's quite possible you have some health problems that require stimullates who knows. Be honest and don't do something you know you are not capable of it's better to ensure she had the best opportunity to success. Good luck god bless
Im sure you would give anything and everything for her but growing up around drugs and seeing how it affects a person could lead to her picking up drugs, dificult family relationships, and resentment. It's got to be one or the other.
You need to get clean for you child. You will be the better for it and reap the rewards of supporting your child fully without the chaos of an addiction.
I grew up with a druggie dad, I am 19 now and I started realizing something was wrong with my dad when I was about the age of 6, that was the time I first saw my dad high on something as i can remember. Only being 6 it was freaking scary. He ended moving out after that still saying he wanted a to be in my siblings and my life. But being on drugs that's really all he cared about. So get off that shit before its to late the child will soon learn and soon see you as a different person. life isn't about you anymore it needs to revolve around the kid.
Bad idea. Perhaps her grandparents can care for her. You can help out and visit when you are sober.
When you say dope, what exactly do you mean, because "dope" is a very general term.
no. your child may end up molested by people you bring her around. she may end up dead from an overdose trying to mimic you. she will be even lonelier being in your presence than without. i hope you have sober parents. and if not, seek help immediately. don't let her become an addict as well, do you really want that for your daughter?
No. The drug will consume all of your energy and money. Get on methadone or Suboxone or don't take her. She deserves to live in a safe environment
Kids need a steady loving influence in their lives...do you really think you can be there for them with a heroin addiction..I mean at times you will have to make your addiction your priority and those are the times you will not be there for them
I disagree with almost everyone. I think it's totally possible. But you already know in your bones if it's possible for you. Opiate addicts can be extremely high functioning (if you are consistently employed, financially stable, eat right etc) and you've been using for long enough that you know how it affects you, it's doable if you've got the motivation. You can't nod though dude. If that's something you do, you know it's not reasonable to take this on. Point made, you just need to do as honest gut check.
Heroin hum? Well, i don't think so. First of all you are going to give a bad example for your little one. Kids imitate that the older people around her do. If she sees you high or getting high this will be marked in her brain like hot iron. The chance that she will become a drug addict will be very high.
Also, the dope might make you do things you will regret latter on.
If you truly love your daughter, stop using drugs
No because a good parent wouldn't be on heroin still . I am sorry if that sucks to hear but if you care about your children , help is what you need .
To be honest I wouldn't recommend it, definitely not with heroin. If you're on a high she could be getting up to anything and you can't be there for her if you're high.
I don't have loads of statistics saying this or that but if you're a junkie she may turn out the same way. So you either pick your daughter or heroin. With heroin there's therapy classes, addiction centres but if you lose your daughter she's never coming back and she'll begin to resent you.
So choose:
Heroin or your daughter?
Nah. You can't hide your addiction 100%, she'll notice that you're different from other dads. Plus, you'll run into a lot of situations where you have to choose your daughter over heroin.
The biggest mistake parents with addictions, mental illnesses/etc is thinking that their child is too young to notice or be affected by this, or too young to ever remember. Children always remember/know more than you'd hope they would, so if you ever choose heroin over her, be prepared for her to remember and be hurt by it.
Not if you're an addict.
I've known drug users who were good parents, but they weren't hooked and didn't do it all the time, if you're a junky I don't think you'll be able to manage.