3 Tips For Parents Of Adult Children With A Heroin Addicition
Knowing that a loved one is suffering from a heroin addiction can be very saddening, and it can be even more upsetting when the addict is one of your adult children. Addiction typically changes a person, and it can hurt to see your child making bad decisions but not be able to help them. If you're the parent of an adult child suffering from an addiction to heroin, use the following tips:
Avoid Being an Enabler
As a parent, it is natural to want to care for your child and do what you can to help them, even when they are adults. Many parents of adult children with a heroin addiction make the mistake of providing their child with a place to live or giving them money. While your heart is in the right place, doing these things only enables your child as he or she suffers from addiction. In many cases, a person with an addiction needs to hit rock bottom before he or she is ready and willing to seek the treatment he or she needs to overcome addiction.
As hard as it may be, the best thing you can do for your adult child who is using heroin is to avoid giving him or her any money and do not provide a free place to live. Explain to your child how much you love him or her, and make it clear that you will help find an addiction treatment center when he or she is ready to get help.
Don't Keep Your Adult Child's Addiction a Secret
Many parents try to keep the fact that their adult child is suffering from a heroin addiction a secret because they feel ashamed or think that they are somehow at fault. While it may be difficult to talk about your family's problems, it is a good idea to let extended family members and family friends know what is going on. Doing so can help ensure that other people do not enable your child by providing money or a place to stay while he or she is using heroin. Talking about the problem can also help you build a support network around your family while you focus on getting your child help for his or her addiction.
Be Ready to Give Support
Hearing your adult child say that he or she wants to seek addiction treatment can be a dream come true, but entering a treatment addiction center does not instantly fix the problem. Your adult child will have a long, hard road to travel and he or she will need a lot of love and support in order to overcome addiction and live soberly. Make sure that your adult child knows that he or she can count on you during the recovery process.
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