Having a son or daughter addicted to drugs or alcohol can be a very difficult situation. As parents, it’s hard to know what the right way is to handle this situation. Some parents try to show their children love and compassion, which can turn into enabling. Others try to show their children tough love, and it may cause the child to want to use more drugs. When your child is addicted to drugs and alcohol, it’s important to understand the disease of addiction so he or she can get the help that they need.

How Children Become Addicted to Drugs

Although there are many efforts out there to prevent young people from becoming addicted to drugs, it’s sometimes inevitable. Young people, especially teenagers, are naturally curious, rebellious, and reckless. Young people are at a risk of becoming addicted due to the lack of brain development. When a young person uses drugs, they get a much stronger euphoric feeling than someone would if they were in their 30s. This happens because the prefrontal cortex doesn’t fully mature until a person is in their mid-20s. There are times when a young person develops symptoms of mental illness, or they may be going through a hard time that they don’t know how to cope in a healthy way. These types of situations can lead to self-medication with different types of drugs. As the young person continues to use in order to escape a feeling or numb a feeling, they may become dependent. Eventually, the body and mind will crave the substances whenever he or she experiences certain situations, feelings, memories, or emotions.

It’s Not Your Fault

One reason many parents are reluctant to send their children to treatment for drug or alcohol addiction is because they feel as though it is a sign of failure as a parent. This is not the case. Addiction does not discriminate, and while your son’s or daughter’s childhood may have played a factor in his or her addiction, it’s not always the case. There are many young people who had the optimal childhood and upbringing according to societal standards, but they still became addicted. Once you realize that you’re not responsible for your child’s addiction, you’ll realize that it’s going to take outside help for your son or daughter to recover.

Helping Your Child When They’re Addicted to Drugs or Alcohol

The best way for your son or daughter to recover is by going to a qualified addiction treatment program. At Lakeview Health, young people who are 18 or older, have the opportunity to get out of their environment and focus on the recovery process. With the tools they learn in addiction treatment, they’ll be able to go on and live a happy, successful life.

Call 866.704.7692 today to learn more.