Advice for Mothers of Addicts
Every mother knows that the special bond between herself and her children is nearly impossible to break. And while that’s a good thing, it means mothers are often overwhelmed when their sons or daughters are suffering from addiction. Mothers love their children to the extent that they would gladly trade places if they could, yet they know they cannot.
Perhaps you are a mother in this very position. You do not understand why your child engages in addictive behaviour despite the obvious harm it’s causing. Moreover, you wish, above all else, you could simply wipe away the addiction and all of the pain and suffering that goes with it. Unfortunately, that is not possible.
The addicted child is often a closed book of self-absorption, denial, and total oblivion to the pain and damage his or her addiction is inflicting on him/herself and others. Though they may be spreading misery, they cannot see it through the haze of addiction. Making things even worse is that you, as a mother, feel completely powerless to do anything about it.
Pleading with Your Child
The mothers of addicts spend plenty of time pleading with their children to get help. And with every plea, the child promises to begin making changes right away. Unfortunately, those changes are rarely permanent if the addict does not seek professional help. Relapses are common under these sorts of circumstances.
After numerous cycles of pleading and relapse, mothers are prone to losing all hope. This might be the worst place you can be. When you have no hope, it ruins your life and prevents you from being of any real value to your family. Addiction Helpline wants you to know things do not have to be this way. You do not have to lose hope; there is help out there. We can assist you in finding the help and encouraging your child to avail him or herself of it.
You do not have to continue being estranged from your addicted child. You do not have to spend every waking hour wondering where he or she might be, or even if the child is still alive. You can take the first step to reclaiming your family by calling Addiction Helpline. We work with private rehab and detox clinics all over the country, as well as charities and groups like Families Anonymous and Al-Anon.
Hitting Rock Bottom
One of the most important things for you to understand, as a mother, is that almost every addict must hit rock bottom before he or she is willing to agree to get help. Hitting rock bottom can be manifested in many different ways, depending on the life and circumstances of the addict. Nevertheless, you will recognise it when you see it.
If your addicted child is already at that point, he or she is a prime candidate for an intervention. You can call Addiction Helpline for advice, including a strategy for conducting an intervention. Drug addiction experts say that a properly conducted intervention is one of the most powerful motivational tools in the life of the addict.
Perhaps your child has not yet hit rock bottom; what can you do? There is still hope. The first thing is not to abandon the idea of an intervention. Right now is a great time to begin preparing for the day when intervention is possible. In many cases, that means seeking the advice of a professional. You will need time to enlist the help of other family members and friends as well.
The other thing you can do in the meantime is to make a concerted effort not to continue enabling the addiction of your child. As a mother, it is your natural tendency to defend your children and try to make their lives as comfortable as possible. However, for the addict, this sort of treatment only makes it possible to continue their destructive behaviour. The best thing you can do is to stop enabling and protecting your child.
As the mother of an addict, we know how much you struggle in this regard. Addiction Helpline invites you to call us as soon as you can. Our professional staff can provide you with a listening ear, competent advice, and further assistance in finding and getting help for your child. There is no need for you to handle this on your own.