As a parent, it can be an extremely tough situation when you find your child suffering from drug addiction. At times, you may find yourself at a loss of words. You may even become doubtful or regretful. Blaming yourself and creating scenarios in your head that make you the cause is not a good route to take. Your child might see you stressing out and end up blaming themselves. As their parent, they look for you for guidance and nurturing. Turning the tables and making your child remorseful will not aid the problem, it will only add fire to the flame.
When your child was just an infant, it felt as though you can protect them from the world. So discovering their struggles with drug addiction can be a huge blow to the heart. It’s possible to feel like you didn’t do your job well. Addiction help for parents and their child can help aid your child toward sobriety, today.
Why do Children and Teens Become Involved with Drugs?
As a parent, you need to put yourself in your child’s shoes. Think back to the struggles and stress you went through as a teen. It’s hard to believe, but children and teens get stressed out and depressed for all kinds of things. The tough thing is, however, that they can hide it very well. Parents tend to be unaware of the lives their children are living when they are in school or hanging out. Of course, you can’t always be around when you’re a parent, so things are bound to go wrong every now and then. These things are out of your control. So, what are the factors that can lead your child toward substance abuse?
- It is a way to fit in. It can also be seen as a way to cope with not fitting in. Believe it or not, but drugs are very popular in underaged teens and children. It’s unfortunate, but it’s true.
- To get attention. This can be attention from parents, friends, teachers or anyone. Your child might not feel as though they are getting enough attention from you, so they turn to drugs to have aid be forced unto them.
- Self medication. On tv or at home, they may see drugs being used as medication for illnesses, depression or pain. They might feel slightly at pain physically or emotionally, and find themselves taking prescription drugs to make it go away. This can quickly and easily lead to drug addiction.
There are many other reasons as to why underaged children and teens develop a drug addiction. But, there are ways to help your child recover and be the person they are meant to be without drugs.
How can I Help my Child Overcome Drug Addiction?
Talk it Out
Find out what the problem is. Let your child know that if you know the problem, you will be able to help them. Don’t judge or scold, just talk. Most of all, listen. A child just wants to be heard, not yelled at or reprimanded. Of course, consequences are in order, but to help them avoid this from ever happening again you need to talk to them. Once recovery has ended, talk to them some more.
Stay Involved
Going hand in hand with talking it out is being involved. Find out what makes them smile and happy and join them in those activities. Ask their teachers and friends how they’re doing. If they have a great relationship with a family member, ask them how they’ve been coping with everything. Anyone they are around should be contacted to ensure your child is doing ok. You may not know what is going on, but a close friend might.
Be Supportive
Again, don’t just scold your child, but support them. Let them know that they are not alone. Hold their hand, because they may be going through extremely tough times in their lives. Guild them through it and let them know that you will always be there. Have confidence is your child, and let them know it. If they are recovering or speaking to you, let them know how proud of them you are. Every child loves to hear that.
Find Help
If cutting off the drugs completely isn’t helping your child, or they are suffering from intense withdrawal symptoms, seek professional help. You may need to find a qualified therapist or even check them into a rehabilitation center. Any help that you seek out will show your child that you truly care and want to see them get better.
Be a Parent
Most importantly, be a parent to your child. Feel them, pick them up when they’re down, tell them how happy you are to have them if your life and tell them how much you love them. Your child needs to feel loved by you. They need you to have their back, because you are the soft spot to land when they take a hard blow.