Addiction is a debilitating disease that not only affects the individual but can impact the whole family. Parents of addicts may experience strong feelings including pain, agony, doubt, fear, regret and more while watching their child struggle with a substance abuse problem. Watching your child spiral out of control is especially difficult when you don’t know what you can do or how you can help.
Most parents do not have any form of training in addiction recovery methods, which is why help from a professional is important. But therapists, counselors and doctors are not always around and kids still need their parents, whether they receive addiction recovery treatment in a residential program where they stay 24/7 or they undergo outpatient addiction treatment. One of the best ways to educate yourself on how you can help your child through addiction is to find support groups for parents of addicts so you can also help yourself.
What Is a Support Group for Parents of Addicts?
Family support groups are designed to help parents and other family members involved in the patient’s recovery process by educating them about addiction while teaching them how to best express their thoughts, emotions and concerns in a way that is beneficial for the adolescent. Support groups for parents of addicts are also a safe space to share experiences with other families in similar situations. Sometimes parents respond unknowingly in ways that are unhealthy for the child battling addiction and can learn at these groups by listening to stories from parents who have developed more effective ways of dealing with their own emotions and helping their addicted children.
Why Should I Go to a Support Group if My Child Is an Addict?
Any parent or family member who wants to help their loved ones during the difficult phases of addiction treatment and recovery would benefit from support groups for parents of addicts. The strength of the support system surrounding the adolescent in need can play a role in recovery. Parents who attend support groups can have an enormous impact on their child’s recovery by learning to show themselves available and be supportive.
Another reason support groups for parents of addicts are beneficial is because parents and caregivers go to great lengths to protect their children from injury and illness. Often, when a young person succumbs to the disease of addiction, it can be very hard for parents to deal with and can be emotionally taxing. Many parents blame themselves or each other for their child’s substance use disorder or resent the child himself for disobeying rules or hanging with the wrong crowd.
Parents may also need to go through the recovery process themselves. Just as in the recovery process for an addict, parents must learn to acknowledge the problem, learn about the disease that leads the child to the dysfunction and to adopt coping skills not only for parents but to learn how to be a better support system for their kids.
Groups that are designed for parents of addicts are pivotal in supporting positive outcomes for those affected by addiction.
What Is the Best Way to Get My Child Help With an Addiction?
If you suspect your child is battling with drug use and addiction, one of the first things you should remember is to talk with your child calmly and carefully. Try to avoid using harsh words or making accusations. Speak compassionately and share your observations.
Professional intervention may be necessary for your child. Arranging a meeting with the addicted adolescent with the help of a substance abuse treatment professional is also important – even if you don’t know if your teen needs intervention. Here the parents and any other concerned people in the adolescent’s life can express their concerns with the help of a counselor, therapist or other professional who can offer objectivity to the situation while helping the family carry through with any goals of the meeting, including entering the child into an addiction treatment program for the adolescent.
When you are ready to choose an addiction rehab program, Atlanta Recovery Place offers comprehensive care for your loved one battling substance abuse while helping to alleviate your suffering as you watch him or her go through the throes of addiction as well. Reach out to us today to find out how we can help address your child’s addiction problem with a goal of lasting recovery while we help with your aching heart as a parent too.
