When an adolescent exhibits signs of a drug or alcohol addiction, parents often find it difficult to talk to them about it. They might not know what to say or how they can be effective. This is especially true if the son or daughter is no longer living at home, such as when the child goes away to college or moves out on his own for the first time. These are some tips on what parents can do to help their adolescent and young adult children with drug and alcohol abuse problems.
What parents can do for their adolescent and adult children with drug abuse problems
The first thing to do is talk to your son or daughter about drug or alcohol use. They might lash out, but parents often still have a lot of influence on teens and young adult children. Talking to them about drug violations and their consequences is one type of conversation that you should have. You should also be prepared to take them to an addiction counselor as soon as possible. You also need to ensure that you’re not enabling drug and alcohol use or activities that surround drug-related behavior through what you say, by giving them money that supports the habits, or by allowing substance abuse to occur in the home.
What parents should tell their child who is struggling with substance abuse
While there are a whole host of concerns that parents can have about their children who are using drugs and alcohol, driving is while intoxicated can be especially concerning because of the severe danger that it can put your child and other motorists in. Your child should also know that there are significant potential consequences of getting a DUI, and the rules are different for minors. While the legal limit for people of legal drinking age is .08, the limit for minors is only .02.
When you have a child with a substance abuse problem, it’s easy to minimize, but the consequences can become more severe the longer you let the problem continue.
