Advice for Sons of Addicts
It is every son’s dream to grow up and make his parents proud. However, what happens when a boy grows up with an addicted parent? The dream of making mum and dad proud is shattered by the reality of parents who could care about little else as long as they satisfy their addictions.
As the son of an addict, you probably feel as though it is your responsibility to somehow bring the additive behaviour of your mother or father to an end. That is a noble mindset, but please do not try to fix the world on your own. Addiction is bad enough for your mother or father; it can also overwhelm you if you try to conquer it alone.
Addiction Helpline exists for the sole purpose of helping individuals like you as well as addicts themselves. We know that you are likely feeling concerned, embarrassed, angry, and perhaps even a little overwhelmed by everything that comes with having an addicted parent. You may even feel powerless to help your loved one. You need to know that you are not alone.
Why Parents Become Addicted
One of the questions we get quite frequently is that of why parents became addicted to begin with. Sons of addicts ask this all the time because their parents tend to blame family troubles for their addiction. It is natural for children to accept that blame; especially the sons who still hold on to their dreams of pleasing parents.
However, the reality is this: it is not your fault. Adults make their own choices all the time; choices that may or may not include drug and alcohol use. Your parents have chosen the road of addiction on their own. You had nothing to do with it. Please do not spend the remainder of your life beating yourself up for something you have no control over.
It’s Not Hopeless
Sons of addicts often find themselves facing hopelessness when they believe they have failed to appropriately help an addicted parent. Even more so if that son is the first-born. Our cultural expectations surrounding sons are such that we expect them to take up where parents have left off.
You need to be confident in the fact that there is always hope for an addicted parent as long as he or she is still alive. That hope can be found in the services provided by organisations like Addiction Helpline. It comes by way of encouraging your addicted parent to seek help and then assisting in making the arrangements. That’s where we come in.
Addiction Helpline works with the best private rehab clinics in the country to offer safe and effective treatment for addicts from all walks of live. We can also connect you with public services and various addiction charities throughout the UK. Regardless of your circumstances, there is a clinic or program right for you.
When you get in touch with Addiction Helpline, we will walk you through all of the available options. That way you will have all the necessary information when your parent finally reaches the end of his or her tether. We can also advise you on conducting an intervention or one-on-one interview.
If you are not comfortable handling these two things on your own, we can point you in the direction of professional help. There are plenty of organisations available to assist you with interventions and interviews.
Don’t Go It Alone
The last thing we want you to know is that there is no need for you to go through this alone. What’s more, it is not healthy for you to do so. You need support to help you get through even if your parents never change their ways. Moreover, if they do decide to change, you may need help in arranging the appropriate services.
Please take advantage of Addiction Helpline today. All of our services are provided free of charge by trained professionals who are fully competent in this area. We will do whatever we can to help you, your addicted parent, and your entire family.