There is not necessarily any rhyme or reason to it: some children become addicted to drugs and alcohol. While there are genetic and social factors that can increase or decrease the likelihood, the fact remains that both good and bad parents can wind up with an addicted son or daughter. Now, your child will most likely not simply come out and tell you that they are abusing drugs or alcohol, so here are a few signs that should warrant your attention:

• As stated above, genetics do play a factor, so be alert if your family has a history of abuse.
• Have you seen evidence of their abuse, i.e. empty liquor bottles, marijuana joints, or other drug paraphernalia? Children generally try very hard to hide these things, and if they are found easily, it could be a sign that they are losing control.
• Has your child been showing a drastic change in behavior? This could be a loss of interest in family activities, loss of appetite, change in friends, depression, irritability or defensiveness, or many other signs.
• Is your child having money problems but won’t talk about them?
• Has your child received a DUI, or has he or she been involved in shoplifting or theft?
• Do you notice any burn marks on their fingers or lips, needle tracks, or sores on their face and nose?

If you do notice some of the above things and suspect that there is a problem, be careful in your reaction. Harsh punishment or lectures to your child may simply drive them further to abuse. So what can you do about it?

• Resist yelling. Try to create a healthy, positive atmosphere in your house.
• You can’t control your child; you can, however, control yourself. Focus on that and your dealing with it, rather than forcing your child to change.
• Sit down and discuss the boundaries of the home with the child. Explain reasons for them and consequences for their actions if disobeyed.
• Get your son or daughter enrolled in a rehabilitation program and be patient. This does not happen overnight. You may not be the factor that produces change, but rather your child’s experiences with other recovering addicts. It will take time.
• Keep a hopeful, positive attitude, and have a sense of humor. Overstressing over the situation only leads to a hostile environment, which will not produce the change.
• Get help yourself: for co-dependents. You’re not alone, so it’s important to help yourself recover as well as your child. You may need family addiction treatment.

It can be frustrating. You may be ashamed, or resent your child for acting the way they have been. The important thing to understand is that there is hope, and things can turn around – it will just take some positive action and a little patience.

What is family addiction treatment? The treatment involves using a family’s strengths and resources to find ways for the person to divert his dependency on drugs and alcohol. The impact is then put on the family to help bring the person through it. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says that it is an effective mode of treatment for substance abusers.

Family addiction treatment has a two-fold effect. First, the intentional effect is that it can be a way to bring a person out of the depths of addiction through the love and care of a supporting family. The second, maybe not so obvious, effect is that the family as a whole is educated and involved in the substance abuse treatment. This fosters knowledge and interaction among the family that can prevent addiction from slipping through from generation to generation.

The impact that addiction has on a family is harsh, and family addiction treatment will help all involved:

• The traditional family runs into trouble when the sober spouse tries to protect the children, assuming the roles of both parents. Studies have shown that children suffer very direct problems as a result of an abusing parent.

• The blended family fights through integration problems. A member of the family suffering from addiction may be cast out or separated by some, and divisions can arise as a result.

• Someone simply living with a spouse or partner could require both to enter into treatment. Codependence is a major issue among households such as these.

• An adolescent abuser in a family will necessitate family addiction treatment through siblings who may need attention and parents that attempt to balance it out, or parents that focus all the attention on one of the children.

Now, family addiction treatment does have some warnings, and the main one is to watch out for the endangerment of family members. A family cannot go through therapy together if there is physical abuse and battering taking place. In that situation, the abuser needs to be separated from the rest of the family, and treatment needs to be administered to family members separately.

The impact that an addiction can have on a family of any kind is monumental. It is important to not assume that merely the addict is the only one that needs professional help. Often, the family as a whole needs assistance in coping with the problem and dealing with it in an open and healing fashion. In situations like these, family addiction treatment can be effective and maybe even necessary.

Hope For A Sober Tomorrow