What To Do If Your Child is Addicted to Drugs?

When our children develop drug addictions, it is one of the hardest things to watch in our lives. Here’s how you can help.
Watching a child get sick is a powerless, helpless feeling. You have to watch them struggle to get back to full health. You call in the doctor or you rush them off to hospital. What it’s important to remember is that your child with an addiction is a child who is sick, too. Taking them to the doctor isn’t going to be enough to help an addiction, though. You need an action plan, a support network, medical advice, and information on your options. Here at Help4Addiction, we specialise in all of the above.
We are an independent company who helps connect those suffering from addictions with the rehab clinics that can help them. We have years of experience in connecting clients with the right rehab centres. When you have the right rehab for you, you are far more likely to get off drugs or alcohol and stay off drugs and alcohol. Let’s not neglect those behavioural addictions either. A gambling problem can ruin a person’s life just as thoroughly as a cocaine addiction, it just works in a different way.

If you need help to tackle a child’s drug addiction, or even if you are tired and sick of it yourself and need someone to talk to, our lines are always open. Call today, on 0203 955 7700, for advice. In the meantime, let’s talk about how you can help your drug addicted child. Where do you even start?
Spotting the Signs of Addiction

The first stage in helping a child with an addiction is to recognise the signs of drug and alcohol use, and of addiction itself. It is easier to spot drug use if your children still live at home. Otherwise, look out for paraphernalia when you visit their homes. Paraphernalia could be a rolled-up bank note, a small flat tray with white powder residue, a bank or credit card on the tray, excessive tobacco scrapings all over the surfaces, and even herb grinders, belts, and needles. Paraphernalia is the easiest way to notice drug use.
You may notice personality and mood changes in your child if they are an addict. They become moody and withdrawn. Addicts tend to isolate themselves from the world around them to withdraw deeper into their habit without judgement. You may notice giant changes in their behaviour, such as lashing out or becoming aggressive.
Remember, spotting these signs could mean drug or alcohol misuse without an addiction just yet. If left unchecked, your loved one could go down a dark path. Intervention for an addicted child can never be too early. You should be careful about confronting them though, since addiction is a disease.

Approaching the Subject of Addiction
First of all, you will want to approach the subject of drug or alcohol use with your child. This might mean a heart to heart about the consequences of taking too many drugs. It might mean a discussion on their friend group, on peer pressure, or on ways to tackle their growing drug use problem. You should have a frank and honest discussion so that your child knows the danger they are facing. Remember: being too heavy-handed risks pushing them further down the path to drug and alcohol addiction.
Approach your child first to talk to them alone. Next, consider involving other family members as an escalation. You may wish to put a support system in place for both you and your child. In this case, asking their friends or your own friends and family for support is no bad idea.
When Talking Doesn’t Work?
If you have spoken at length with your child about their drug or alcohol use and they refuse to admit any guilt, it’s time to move on to harsher tactics. You can take them to the GP, who will inform them of what happens to their bodies on a medical level if they use drugs or alcohol.

The final stage of helping an addicted child is staging an intervention to get them into some form of care. Remember, we have the best advice online regarding staging an intervention for a loved one. Keep in mind that you can call us when you are ready, and we can give you insight into the best rehab clinics to suit your child’s needs. Call today for further information or to speak to someone who cares.