Advice for Fathers of Addicts
In most traditional families, fathers maintain that role of leadership; a role that is often shattered when a father discovers a son or daughter addicted to drugs or alcohol. It is a scene that is all too common across the UK these days. You might even be living through the nightmare yourself. What do you do?
First, do not lose hope. Addiction Helpline has already helped countless fathers and mothers through the ordeal of a child’s drug addiction. We can help you to. All you need to do to get the process started is contact us via telephone or e-mail. As soon as we connect, you’ll have a friend in your corner.
Second, understand that you are not alone. Other fathers just like you see their children engaging in destructive behaviour with no explanation as to why it is happening. All over the UK fathers are frustrated, disappointed, disheartened and, to some extent, even blaming themselves for their child’s addictions.
Understand that you are not to blame. Also understand that throwing up your hands and doing nothing, under the false impression there is nothing to be done, is not the right course of action. Do the best you can for your child by taking advantage of the services we offer.
Why People Become Addicted
As a father, it may seem incomprehensible to you that a child would purposely put him or herself through such torture for the temporary pleasure addicting substances can offer. It simply does not make sense. Nevertheless, keep in mind that addiction is a gradual process that happens over time. No addiction is instant.
The truth of the matter is that your child did not see his or her addiction coming. They began their behaviour under the assumption that it was largely harmless. Without knowing what was happening, they made excuses with each passing day and, as a result, the problem got worse. Even as their life continues its downward spiral, they are unable to see the truth.
Also keep in mind that your child may not see their alcohol or drug use as the problem. Quite the contrary, they may perceive the drugs or alcohol as the only way they can manage an otherwise miserable life. They see the world backwards because their mind is polluted by their addiction.
What You Can Do
When your son or daughter was two or three years old, you were the superhero who could fix any problem. That’s not the case with addiction. There is not much you can do directly until your child reaches that place where he or she decides they have had enough. We call this hitting rock bottom.
While you wait for your child to reach that point, there are couple of things you can do to encourage its onset. For example, you can engage your child in motivational interviews or enlist your family members and friends to conduct an intervention. When you call us, we can advise you in both areas.
More importantly, it is critical that you stop any and all behaviour that might be enabling your child to continue their addictive behaviour. One example would be cutting off a weekly financial allowance. Any money you give your child will likely be spent on addiction, so stop giving them money.
What We Can Do
Addiction helpline is a professional referral service with access to private rehab clinics, outpatient programs, and public services all across the UK. We even have contact with facilities and programs abroad. Our only mission is to help addicts and their families get the appropriate help they need to overcome addiction. That is what we can do for you.
When you call us, we will do everything we can to provide you with both competent advice and a list of options for your family and addicted child. We will walk you through each of those options so that you are able to make an informed decision. Moreover, when the time comes, we can even help make the arrangements necessary to get your child into the appropriate program.
The important thing is that you do not try to do this on your own. Drug addiction is a very powerful force that can be very difficult to break without professional help. Addiction Helpline is your door to that professional help. For the sake of your family and your child, let us help you today.