Addiction
January 15, 2016
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Parents have to help their loved ones for their own peace of mind and for their own need to care for and love their child. Once a child has become addicted telling the child what to do is generally not useful. How do you know when you should start seeking professional help?
A parent can ask the child what they can do to support them and they can listen carefully to what the child says. The parent may learn that the child feels depressed, or that they are struggling at school and don’t know why, or that they are being bullied. There can be many issues that led to the addictive behavior in the first place; it is not always just a matter of acting out, partying or succumbing to peer pressure.
The child may use this moment to verbally attack and blame the parent for the things they do. A parent needs to refrain from being drawn into an argument and let them talk or shout until they are done. Then the parent must be clear about their own actions. The parent is responsible for earning a living, maintaining a home, putting groceries in the cupboards, buying clothing etc. The family member is responsible for their own behavior. The parent must be clear about this in a kindly way. They may ask their loved one again how they can help support them without taking over responsibilities that belong to the child. The family member may have some valid ideas. The parent must be strong and loving but not enable the addictive behavior by taking on responsibilities that belong to your loved one. Being tough in this way is not the opposite of being kind; it is a special, necessary way of being kind. A parent would be wise to seek professional support to learn how to support their child.
It is very hard to support a family member with an addiction. Often they do not want to seek help. Often the family is in such turmoil that no one is taking care of themselves. Even if the child does agree to get help, the process is generally fraught with fractured progress. There are often many setbacks along the way.
A professional from Sober Living in Los Angeles can help a family dealing with a child’s addiction by teaching them how to work on their communication, their ability to take care of themselves, and by teaching them healthy ways to support their family. They can coach parents on how to lead a child to accept treatment.
The teen may need to begin their treatment with detox treatment in order to withdraw safely from the drug. Detox treatment provides the necessary medical care and helps the addicted person be ready for the hard work of treatment. The process of making medical and psychiatric diagnoses will begin after withdrawal.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]