Fathers of Children Who Are Addicted to Alcohol or Drugs

If you are the father who is dealing with an addicted child, you may have times when you feel there is no hope for your loved one. There may have already been many occasions when this person promised to change or even seemed to be turning a corner, but it all came to nothing. It can be impossible for the parent of an alcoholic or drug addicted child to comprehend how this is happening. Why is their child just not able see how much damage they are doing to themselves and those who love them? Why are they not able give up this thing that is destroying their life? It is like watching you child jump off a cliff and feeling helpless to stop it.

Why Do People Become Addicted

The behaviour of those individuals who are addicted to alcohol or drugs will usually appear incomprehensible to other people. It just does not make sense why somebody should put himself or herself through this type of abuse. The reality is that nobody ever chooses to end up in this position, and there are powerful forces that keep the individual trapped in the behaviour. They really are unable to see the reality of their situation, and they will have plenty of excuses for where their life seems to be locked in a downward trend. They do not see substance abuse as the cause of this – they are more likely to believe that alcohol and drugs are the only thing that allows them to cope with all the bad in their life. The thing that makes addiction so hard to deal with is that it involves so much denial. The individual is likely to have times when they can see beyond this denial and they become remorseful and promise to change, but the power of denial does not take long before it can once again begin to cloud their thinking.

How Fathers Can Help their Addicted Sons and Daughters

Until the person who has fallen into addiction becomes ready to end the behaviour, there is very little that can be done for them. The goal then is to get them to the place where they become ready to get the help they need. This is sometimes referred to as hitting rock bottom. There can be this misconception that hitting rock bottom means losing everything, but this is not what is meant here, To hit rock bottom just means that the person has lost enough so that they become willing to change. Things like motivational interviewing and interventions can raise the rock bottom, so that the individual can become ready for recovery sooner. If you would like to find out more about what can be done to encourage your son and daughter to enter rehab you can feel free to contact us here on 0800 024 1478.

You may feel alone when it comes to dealing with your son or daughter’s addiction problem, but there are plenty of other people who are in this same position. If you need some support, you will be able to get this from groups like Al-Anon and Families Anonymous. These groups can be a great resource, and it can be a great help to spend time with other parents who are in a similar position to you.

Ready for Rehab

Once your son or daughter becomes ready for rehab you will want to move fast. The motivation to quit alcohol and drugs can come and go, and if there is a delay between the decision to quit and getting help, the individual may lose their motivation. We will be able to find a suitable alcohol and drug centre for you based on the needs of your child. Contact us right away and we can get the ball rolling. You can phone us on our helpline or just text “help” to 66777 and we will be able to get right back to you. It can also be good to arrange a rehab if you plan on doing an intervention and want somewhere to send you child should this be successful – we will be happy to offer you advise on this too. If you need something like a home detox, we will be able to discuss options for this as well.

Help for family, friends, and close ones is just as important as the help people suffering with addiction need. Seek support to find the right path.