Coping as a parent of a drug addict

There is nothing as painful as watching your child, whom you have groomed and have dreams for, fall apart because of drugs. Drugs can erode the child’s personality and possess them like a demon. It’s painful for parents to watch their child high and becoming their former self. The sad part is that the drugs don’t only affect the person using them but the entire family. There is no need for them to struggle alone as help is available for parents of drug addicts, as well as for siblings and for the addicts themselves. To find it parents must risk looking and asking, without fear of judgement.

The grief it brings to families

Drug addiction is a brutal predator which mauls every aspect of family life it comes in contact with. The damage done to heart and soul, to parenthood and to family, by a child’s drug addiction can leave parents so injured themselves that they are no longer able to advocate well for themselves, each other, and for their addicted child.

Fixing the damage

Even the strongest mothers and fathers can fail to survive without scars and grief. The most important help for parents of drug addicts is the help they can be offered to heal their own lives addiction counsellors, family therapists, doctors and peer groups, working together, can help heal the damage.  It will never be gone, but by starting to get help, parents commit to a day when it won’t be so bad.

Support groups are a good place to start.

There is no sure cure for a drug addict. But there are resourceful people, centres and programmes like                    www.houghtonhouse.co.za, that can help drug addicts and their families.Because of their experience in dealing with addicts, they make the process easier.For some, churches are the most powerful support group of all.Even a small church can often provide contacts and networking within the faith that allows parents injured in spirit and hope to open up to outsiders, without fear of being embarrassed.A community of faith can provide security and understanding for those who depend on the structure and culture congregation provides.