When your adult son or daughter is struggling with addiction, you may find yourself in a position where it’s hard to know what to do. They’re not the person you know they are — so what happened? First of all, know it’s not your fault, but also know you can help them renew their life and overcome their addiction. Here’s a guide for parents on how to support your loved one when they’re struggling with substance abuse.

Why Does Your Son or Daughter Use Drugs & Alcohol?

Many people use drugs or alcohol when they are at a low point in life. The same centers in your brain that control dopamine are activated when using different drugs and alcohol. That’s why when your loved one drinks or uses they feel better —  temporarily. The reason they feel the need to drink or use though is because they aren’t just suffering from addiction, but also a mental health disorder such as depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder or more.

Addiction Is a Disease

While many people think that addiction is a choice, that is vastly incorrect. It’s a disease that your loved one is pre-disposed for, which can be exacerbated by trauma and untreated mental health issues. At Acqua Recovery, our Masters-level clinicians use a trauma-informed approach to substance abuse treatment to help set your kid up for a lasting recovery. Don’t blame yourself for your son or daughter having this disease, but instead support them in their fight to recovery.

Does My Kid Need Rehab?

To overcome their addiction for good, your loved one will need professional addiction treatment. You should approach them in a caring manner and try not to be overbearing. Even though your kid is all grown up and making their own decisions, hearing from you that they should get help may just be the thing that inspires them to do it.

You may also have to stop enabling their addiction. “Enabling” is anything from giving them money to letting them sleep on your couch when they’ve lost their job due to substance abuse. Usually addicts and alcoholics truly do want to change but can’t figure out how to do it on their own. The best thing that you can do is offer a place of comfort and possibly financial support when they need to separate themselves away from their current circumstances for a while and get the residential addiction treatment they need.

What Types of Treatment Does My Loved One Need?

There are many different drug and alcohol treatment programs out there, but to truly help your kid find recovery that lasts, they need to go to an addiction treatment program that offers dual diagnosis treatment. we’re going to talk about healing them on a deeper level. Ideally you’ll want to find a program that offers a dual-diagnosis option. This means treating your loved one’s addiction and the underlying trauma and mental health issues fueling it.

Acqua Recovery offers a 30-90 day residential program customized to your kid. Don’t expect your son or daughter to be “healed” overnight. That’s why it’s best for your loved one to have an after-care plan, once they graduate from a residential treatment program. Acqua also offers an outpatient program and sober living to continue to support your loved one in early recovery and prevent relapse.

Get Your Loved One Help for Addiction

Talk to your son or daughter struggling with addiction, sooner than later. Substance abuse is a downward spiral that only keeps getting worse. At Acqua Recovery our evidence-based program will help them find grounded solutions for dealing with their emotions and triggers in life. Your loved one will be introduced to many different activities and healthy coping mechanisms. Located next to a glistening lake and 12 acres of nature, some of the things our clients love to take part in are hiking, kayaking, fishing, equine therapy, boxing and more.

Reach out to our caring admissions team — Matt, Brian, and Ashlee — today.