Parenting a child is hard and it is work that never stops. Even when your child has left your home and started a family/life of their own, it still feels like they are your little boy or girl. How, then, do you deal with an adult child with an amphetamine abuse problem?
You can’t send them to their room or ground them anymore. You can’t even make them go to rehabilitation and succeed. What can you do to help the adult child you love recover from an amphetamine addiction?
Addiction
Firstly, it’s important to acknowledge that the addiction isn’t your fault. It’s not the sole result of your parenting. A lot of factors are at play. It isn’t also the sole fault of your child.
Drug and alcohol addiction is, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her. Although the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, the brain changes that occur over time challenge an addicted person’s self-control and hamper his or her ability to resist intense impulses to take drugs.”
The addiction isn’t in your child’s control and it isn’t a reflection on your parenting.
Research
Doing your research on amphetamine addiction and treatment will help you to shut down any potential excuses your child may have.
The most important thing you can do for your addicted child is to research their options. An amphetamine addict isn’t going to look into their rehab options and try to manage funding. Their addiction won’t let them. But, you, as their parent, have that option.
Your child will make excuses about why they can’t go, but you can shut many of them down by being prepared. If you find a successful program and funding options, you have eliminated some of the biggest excuses. For help locating treatment and researching it, contact Amphetamines.com at 800-816-1059(Who Answers?) and speak with someone who can help you navigate various possibilities.
Be Ready
The NIDA states “Because drug-addicted individuals may be uncertain about entering treatment, taking advantage of available services the moment people are ready for treatment is critical. Potential patients can be lost if treatment is not immediately available or readily accessible. As with other chronic diseases, the earlier treatment is offered in the disease process, the greater the likelihood of positive outcomes.”
Because timing is so crucial, you should be prepared, day or night, to get your child into rehab as soon as they express an interest. This will be inconvenient, but it is essential. Just as researching cuts off avenues of excuses, providing transport does too.
Step Away
If you have done all of your research and arranged transportation and you are worrying day and night and your child still resists entering rehabilitation for their amphetamine addiction, it’s time to back off for a bit. You have done all that you can, and the decision is theirs to make.
Defining a boundary will be difficult and you will struggle with it, but it might be your refusal to stand by and watch their amphetamine addiction tear them apart that will convince your child to get help.
Force Your Child?
You may be wondering about court-ordered rehabilitation. Can you force your adult child into rehab? Well, that depends upon your child. All rehabilitation needs to be tailored to the needs of the addict. What will work for one may not work for another.
However, the NIDA notes: “Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective. Sanctions or enticements from family, employment settings, and/or the criminal justice system can significantly increase treatment entry, retention rates, and the ultimate success of drug treatment interventions.” If you feel your adult child and their amphetamine addiction would be served by mandated rehabilitation, look into your state laws and see if it is possible.
Call Amphetamines.com at 800-816-1059(Who Answers?) when you are ready to explore treatment options for your child’s amphetamine addiction.
