If you are a parent, then you already know just how much you worry about your children. When they are younger and you are 100% responsible for them, it can seem like you never have to worry about outside influences as long as you are there to deflect problems. However, as children get older and begin to explore the rest of the world outside of the safety of their home, they often begin to experiment with things they shouldn’t.
Unfortunately, these things are often drugs and alcohol. It can be extremely hard when you are a parent who has to worry about a child that is addicted to alcohol or drugs. If you are wondering how to deal with a drug addict daughter, we can help. Read on for some important information.
Drug Addiction in Young Adults
Your child may not be aware of how bad their drug use is, especially if they are in the beginning stages of addiction. Many young teenagers and even young adults do not understand just how dangerous addiction is. In fact, they often don’t believe that it can even happen to them.
Your child may have gotten involved in drugs for many reasons, such as:
Experimentation- Many young adults are eager to try out drugs as soon as they can. They believe that they can try it “just once” without harm.
Social media- Social media can be a huge influence on kids today. Your daughter may have seen others using drugs online and decided to try herself.
Stress- Your daughter may use drugs as a coping mechanism for stress. With the ongoing pandemic, many people are turning to unhealthy habits to get them through their most stressful feelings, something she may be doing frequently.
Trauma- If your daughter has had some type of trauma in her past, she may turn to drugs to help dull the pain she is still feeling.
Mental health conditions- Many mental health conditions can exacerbate drug use. This includes PTSD, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other personality disorders.
Boredom- Simple boredom may cause your daughter to try drugs as a way to pass the time, especially during the pandemic.
Unfortunately, there are many reasons why your daughter may be caught up in drug use. As a parent, you will want to do everything you can to get her the help that she needs. However, this isn’t always as easy as it seems.
Talking to Your Child
It’s very important to talk to your child openly and honestly about their drug addiction. It’s important to be as supportive as possible, but it can also be hard to know what to do during this situation. While there is never a clear cut answer as to how to get your child to understand that they have a problem and need help, there are a few things you can do.
The severity of the addiction- The first step is to find out how severe the problem is. Don’t be surprised to hear your daughter tell you that they “have it under control” or “it’s not that bad” when you talk to her. No matter how severe the addiction, it is important for her to get help as soon as possible.
Listen to her- This is the time to be as calm and collected as possible. Make sure she knows you are there to help her and not to make anything worse. Let her know you are a shoulder to lean on and that you’re ready to get her the help she needs. Knowing she has someone to talk to will help start the process of recovery.
Understand her addiction– Don’t go into this journey blind. We now understand that addiction is a disease. You can’t just quit through sheer willpower alone, just as you couldn’t get over cancer without some help. Educate yourself on addiction as much as possible to understand what she is feeling. While you won’t understand exactly what she is going through, your daughter will appreciate that you are making an effort to understand.
Help them get help- Your daughter may need help finding the right rehab to go into. You can’t force her to go, but you can help her decide on the right one. Help her research various facilities to find one that is best for her situation.
Call Now
When your daughter is ready to take the first step to a life of sobriety and happiness, we are here to give her the help she needs from beginning to end. Call us today for more information at 866-963-7200.