Understanding their Addiction
It is always difficult for parents from Ontario, as it is from anywhere else in the world, to see a son or a daughter in pain. It is even more tragic when the loved one is caught up in a drug addiction because they are seemingly unaware of their own pain.
Your first job in helping an addicted son is to understand everything you can about his particular addiction. You may think that your experience in dealing with the effects of your child’s addiction is knowledge enough for you to proceed; it is generally not. It is likely that they, themselves, do not fully comprehend the dangers of their choices.
Each addiction is different and, as so, every consequence and aspect of treatment in the rehab centers and healthcare centers is also different. For example, there are certain drugs that a person can quit ‘cold turkey’ (meaning all at once) without severe withdraw symptoms. However, for certain addictions, trying to quit in this manner may kill them. There are medical details and signs of a particular addiction that you should familiarize yourself with before you go any further.
Confrontation before Intervention
You might be thinking that getting your loved one to accept treatment in a rehab center will require a full-scale intervention, but this is not always the case. In fact, many addicts will feel cornered and can react in a hostile or agitated way to a formal intervention. Because this can cause them to detach from you all together, a formal intervention should only be used as a last resort; after you have exhausted all other means.
There are ways that you can talk to them about their addiction in a non-threatening manner. You don’t want them to pull away from you so you need to be supportive. Don’t go into the conversation thinking it is futile. Sometimes the only thing an addict needs to seek out help for themselves is a friendly voice on the phone or an understanding expression.
That being said, you do need to accept that they might not want help in these informal types of interventions. If that becomes the issue, then you need to prepare yourself for a full-scale intervention when and if the need arises.
Being Prepared
It is crucial that you make sure to have a packet of information on a rehabilitation center before you speak to your loved ones. Already having the research done and available for your son to look at with you might be all they need to accept help. You can get the needed information by talking to one of the Narconon substance abuse counselors 1-877-782-7409 or by filling in the online consultation form on the right.
Living with an addicted person is scary. You never know if this time it could kill him. You want to believe that YOU as a mother, or a father can help. But, we simply are not equipped to deal with it. My son stopped and this other person took over. It is the worst thing I have ever seen.