Lessons Parents of Young Adult Addicts Should Learn

Living with someone who has a substance misuse disorder can be incredibly challenging – even more so if you are watching your child struggle with the various issues related to substance misuse. Not only do you constantly worry about their well-being, but you may also find yourself in completely unfamiliar territory when it comes to how to help your son or daughter deal with their problems.

As a parent, you probably have an array of questions:

• What are they using, and how much?
• Is this a passing phase of experimentation, or a genuine addiction?
• Am I being overprotective, or am I right to be concerned?
• If I put my foot down and set ultimatums around my child’s drinking or drug use, will it push them even further away from me?
• Is this problem somehow my fault?
• Is my child’s future at risk?
• Should I be looking into qualified treatment facilities?

Here are the top four lessons you should learn about young adult addiction.

1. Parents Can Enable an Addiction

As a parent, you would do almost anything to keep your child from experiencing pain. You want their journey in life to be free of as many obstacles as possible. Unfortunately, those same impulses can cause you to develop the habit of enabling a child’s addiction.

You raised your child in the best way you knew how. It can be a bitter pill to swallow when you realize you can only do so much to support them, and at some point, they are responsible for the decisions they make. As much as you may want to smooth out the bumpy road to addiction recovery, your child must experience the natural consequences of their actions and do the hard work of getting better on their own.

2. You Can’t Help Someone Who Isn’t Willing to Accept Help

As well as you think you know your child, unless you have battled addiction issues yourself, it can be challenging for you to understand what they’re going through. Because of the denial that often accompanies addiction, addicted people may refuse to admit when they need help. When addiction takes hold of someone’s life, they often can’t walk away. However, coming to terms with this is a gradual process.

You can play a role in helping your child work through addiction by being there to support them, researching a treatment center and learning more about their substance of misuse and how it affects them, but your son or daughter won’t heal from an addiction until they are willing to accept they have a problem they can’t solve by themselves.

3. Be Patient

It takes time to heal from a drug or alcohol addiction. There are no shortcuts or quick-fix solutions, no matter how much you might wish there were. There will be easy days and hard ones. The best thing you can do is to be there to support your child and provide unconditional love when they are struggling.

4. Addiction Doesn’t Define Your Child

One of the most challenging lessons learned in addiction recovery is for the addicted person to rediscover who they are without the influence of drugs and alcohol on their life. Along the way, they will also need to accept that it’s fruitless to dwell on mistakes made in the past. You can help your child learn to live in the moment by encouraging them to try supplementing their therapy with approaches such as meditation.

Start Healing Your Family Today

At Hope Academy, we know how devastating addiction can be for families. Learn more about our young adult addiction services for ages 18 through 26, and get your child the necessary help to recover. Contact us today to learn more about our application process.

Steps to Take Before You Welcome Your Child Home From Addiction Treatment

You’ve been counting down the days until you could welcome your child home from their treatment program. Now that the big day is almost here, you may be feeling like you’re on an emotional rollercoaster. It’s normal for any parent in your position to feel happy, anxious, stressed and excited, sometimes all at once.

While your child will have made a lot of progress in addiction treatment, it’s essential for you to remember that they are only at the beginning of a lifelong process of recovery. It will involve sacrifice for you and your family, and it’s smart to plan for how you will deal with it. Although your daughter or son is ultimately responsible for their success, you can learn how to support them along the way.

1. Remove All Temptations

The first step you should take is to clear all intoxicating substances out of your house. Go through your medicine cabinet and safely dispose of expired or unused prescriptions. Keep any current prescriptions under lock and key. Likewise, remove all alcohol from your home, or take steps to secure it. Take special care to search your child’s room for drugs, alcohol or any paraphernalia.

2. Get Naloxone and Learn How to Use It

If your child’s substance misuse issues stemmed from opioids, having naloxone on hand can be lifesaving. Naloxone, marketed under the brand name Narcan®, is a non-addictive drug that can reverse the effects of an overdose. Depending on where you live, you may be able to get a naloxone kit from your drugstore without a prescription. Make sure the naloxone kit is in an easy-to-access place, and that everyone in your family knows how to administer it.

3. Familiarize Yourself With the Aftercare Plan

Whatever your treatment facility recommends for your child’s next steps, make sure you understand the plan and have familiarized yourself with what you need to do to support your son or daughter. For example, you may need to attend counseling as a family, or drive your child to appointments with a therapist. Be willing to take time off from work, if necessary, to fulfill your obligations. Your continued involvement makes a difference, whether your child is willing to acknowledge it or not.

4. Set Reasonable Boundaries

If your child drank or used drugs for a long time, it likely took a heavy toll on your family. The secrecy, denial, manipulation and self-destructive behavior associated with addiction disorders can erode relationships, and it will take time and concerted effort to rebuild. Once your child returns home, setting healthy boundaries can ensure you are developing a foundation of mutual trust. Some families find it helpful to draw up a recovery contract that defines their expectations and outlines consequences for breaking the rules.

5. Be Patient

The earliest days of recovery will probably be the most challenging for everyone involved. Your child will most likely go through periods of emotional upheaval. There will be days where they feel angry, frustrated or distant. Other times, your child may be like the person you remember from before addiction took hold. Be sure to savor the good moments, and be ready to listen on days where the struggle may seem overwhelming. There are no shortcuts in recovery.

Never Give Up

As crushing as it can feel to see your son or daughter wrestling with the burdens of substance misuse, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. At Hope Academy, our team of addiction specialists can help your child turn things around before addiction becomes a way of life. If you are ready to make a fresh start for your family, contact us today.

How to Raise Drug-Free Kids in College and Beyond

Young adulthood is a challenging time. Teenagers are starting to discover the interests and hobbies that will follow them into adulthood, and they are also searching for new experiences. All these things help shape them into the person they will eventually become, but sometimes, pushing boundaries can create unsafe situations.

It’s common for college students to experiment with drugs and alcohol. When they start using these substances, they can quickly develop a dependence and discover they cannot quit on their own. Parental involvement can be incredibly influential in helping keep kids away from drugs and preventing the heartbreak of addiction.

Tips for Raising a Drug-Free Teen

Clear boundaries and open lines of communication are two excellent ways to keep young adults safe and healthy. Here are some suggestions for getting started.

1. Establish Rules and Consequences of Breaking Them

Defined rules around drug use can provide your teen with much-needed structure during a formative period in their life. At the same time, you need to create realistic consequences of what will happen if they stray from the path you’ve set, and stick to them. If your college-aged child knows you are a pushover when it comes to enforcing the rules, it’s likely they will test you.

2. Schedule a Conversation About Drug and Alcohol Use

Bringing up a heavy topic like drug and alcohol use seemingly out of the blue can put young adults on the defensive. It’s smart to give your child advance notice that you’d like to chat with them about drug use and drinking. Reassure them that you aren’t going to discipline them, but that you are trying to be proactive and make sure everyone is on the same page.

You can use this conversation as an opportunity to lay ground rules like:

• Avoid parties where alcohol or drugs might be present.
• Always use prescription drugs exactly as directed, and never take someone else’s prescription medication or share your prescriptions with others.
• Do not get in the car with a driver who is under the influence.
• If someone offers you alcohol or drugs, tell an adult authority figure about it.

3. Take an Active Role in Your Child’s Life

Though you may find your college-aged child begins to pull away from you as they establish greater and greater independence, spending time together is essential at this age. Meet their friends, and ask them what they are learning about in school. If they get involved in sports, attend their games.

Always be aware of what your teenager is up to. If they go out on the weekend, ask them which friends they’ll be spending time with and what they will be doing. You’re not being nosy if you do this — you’re expressing care for their well-being.

4. Help Your Teen Learn to Make Goals

Goal-setting is an essential part of college life. You should work with your college-aged child to teach them how to set realistic short- and long-term goals for things they hope to achieve, both in their academic and personal lives. Ask them to share their ambitions and aspirations with you. Then, make sure they understand how misusing alcohol and drugs can derail their hopes for the future.

If You Suspect a Problem, Confront It Immediately

If your college-aged child’s behavior has changed markedly, and you have reason to believe it is because of drug or alcohol abuse, don’t wait to intervene. Though some people outgrow this experimental phase, others continue down a self-destructive path and end up with an addiction. Don’t let this tragedy happen to your family. Contact us at Hope Academy to learn more about the difference we can make in your child’s life.

6 Ways to Support Your Loved One in Recovery

The road to recovery is difficult for both the individual suffering from a substance use disorder and his or her loved ones. In fact, addiction is often called a family disease; family support is crucial for lasting sobriety. 

That said, it’s not always easy knowing what steps to take to show your support and help your loved one have a shot at a successful recovery. 

Here’s help: 

• Educate yourself. Learning as much as you can about addiction will help prevent you from blaming your loved one and will help you better understand what your loved one will go through during treatment. 
• Consider therapy. Both individual and family therapy can help you address your own emotions, including the challenges of loving someone struggling with addiction. Plus, participating in family therapy shows your loved one that you want to be involved in their recovery.
• Seek support. Attending support groups for loved ones of addicts in recovery is an excellent way to combat any feeling of isolation you may be experiencing. Talking openly about your experiences and challenges with others who “get it” is the perfect remedy to prevent loneliness.
• Practice self-care. The better you feel, the better you’ll be able to care for your loved one. Do your best to prioritize your own health and wellbeing. This means getting plenty of sleep, eating well, exercising and doing things you enjoy.
• Prepare a relapse prevention plan. Family members also need a plan in case their loved one relapses. Family therapy is often a safe space to figure out what to do and how to respond if relapse occurs. 
• Be patient. Recovery is a lifelong journey that requires patience (from you and your loved one) as you both navigate the ups and downs and highs and lows of sober life. 

Family Support at Hope Academy 

We know the importance of family involvement and healing in addiction recovery. That’s why we help the parents of our young adults heal themselves as they learn to better support their child. If your son or daughter has a substance abuse problem, act now. Call today: 866-930-4673.