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Disorder in children could become more common because of opioid epidemic

The opioid epidemic claims victims beyond those addicted to drugs -- loved ones are also impacted, especially the children of addicts.

Channel 11 has covered countless stories of children found wandering alone with an overdosed parent at home. But experts say that, for some children, the danger will not be apparent for years, but can be just as scary.

One foster family found that out the hard way. They spoke with Channel 11 on the condition of anonymity, to protect their adoptive children.

"We were under the impression that we were going to open our arms and take them into our laps and love them, and give them this wonderful life they deserved," the mother told us. "We found out early on, that's not the road we were on."

The family took in four siblings, all under the age of 10 at the time. They say they were told by Children and Youth Services that one of the children had ADHD, but within days, they knew it was more than that.

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The mother told us the children had been bounced around different homes for years, and all of them were born drug positive, with one born drug-addicted. She told us they had experienced unimaginable trauma.

The drug-addicted child was only with the family for a little while. He was removed from the home by CYS for posing a danger to his siblings. The mother we spoke with said he went on to burn down the home of another foster family.

The foster family adopted the other three siblings. The oldest, a girl, started showing signs of violence and manipulation, and was diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder, or RAD.

RAD occurs early in a child's life, within the first three years. Experts believe it develops when a child is neglected and does not form attachments with adults. The disorder actually permanently damages a child's brain.

Elizabeth Ventura is a psychologist who works with children with RAD.

"RAD children do become violent and aggressive," Doctor Ventura said. "Because there's that inability to connect and there's this lack of empathy and sometimes they can develop some sociopathic behaviors. It can be unsafe."

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The family we spoke with says they tried to work through it with help from a psychologist. Eventually, their daughter threatened them, saying she knew where they kept their guns. They were told to admit her to Western Psych.

That's where they were met with a growing national problem. There's a lack of resources to treat teens with mental health problems. NBC News recently found out there is a 40 percent increase in psychiatric visits to the emergency room, but a huge decline in beds for inpatient treatment

This family said the resources are even thinner for RAD treatment because the children can be manipulative and dangerous to other children.

"We've closed all our mental health facilities; there's nowhere to put these kids," the mother told us.

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She now has to give up rights to her daughter to protect the other adopted siblings. She feels there is no help for her daughter and her family.

"We are scared to death of what the future brings for us as a family," she told Channel 11.

She is afraid her case is only the beginning. She thinks heroin addiction will lead to more severely neglected children with the risk of developing RAD.

"As bad as the opioid epidemic is, and it is very bad and heartbreaking, we know what's coming after," she warned. "All their children are going to start growing up in our society, and it's not going to be good."