Dealing With An Addicted Child: Tips for Concerned Parents

Coping With A Child Who Has An Addiction

This journey has certainly taken a toll on you emotionally. As a parent, you want what is best for your child, so when your child is struggling it can be devastating. Dealing with an addicted child can be similar to grieving so here are few ways to help you cope with the fact that your child is an addict.

1. Remember that no parent is perfect. While it may be easy to blame yourself for your child’s addiction, there are many other factors that contribute to a substance abuse disorder. Your child’s addiction is not a direct reflection of your parenting skills.
2. Accept the fact that you cannot control them. When they were younger, you had complete control over their life, but now they are all grown up. You can no longer control their every move. They are an independent being who makes their own choices and mistakes.
3. Set boundaries. Even though you cannot control them, you do need to set boundaries for your child as well as yourself. Think about what you will and will not accept from your child. You do not want them to walk all over you or control your life.
4. Seek help for yourself. Whether you have a trusted friend or you seek out a therapist, you should talk about it instead of keeping everything bottled up. There are plenty of support groups and resources for parents of addicts.

How to Help A Child With A Drug Addiction

Once you have accepted the fact that your child has a problem, your biggest concern is probably getting your child help. Standing by and ignoring the problem or hoping it will go away on its own is not a good option.

1. Confront them. Confronting an addict isn’t easy, especially when they are your child, but the alternative is worse. Instead of watching helplessly as your child nears rock bottom, you should take action.
2. Encourage your child to speak to you. Your child may have turned to drugs and alcohol because they are struggling with bad self-esteem or issues at school. Do not push your child away during their time of need. You want to be supportive and encourage them to talk to you. The idea is to strengthen your relationship without enabling their addiction.
3. Try to get them into treatment. You are a parent. You are not a treatment specialist. The best thing you can do for your child during this time is to get them into formal treatment such as our Philly drug rehab.
4. Look into intervention services. If your child is in denial about their addiction problem or resistant to treatment, a professional interventionist may be able to help.