Parents Guide

MOMSTELL

Parents and Families Working Together For

Improved Drug Treatment

Education, Legislation, Policy and Prevention

...because no family should face the disease of addiction alone

09/26/2009

Parents Guide

NEED HELP?

If you need help locally, contact your Drug and Alcohol Commission. You can find them in the blue pages of your phone book. You can also ask about parent support groups that might be available in your area.

Guides patients and families on how to be smarter consumers of addiction treatments services and teaching them how to ask the right questions for a greater chance for recovery.

PARENTS GUIDE

Parents often have a hard time admitting that their child has a drug or alcohol problem; even if there is a lot of evidence. It is important to avoid self blame. Anger, resentment, guilt, and a sense of failure are all common reactions. Drug abuse occurs in families of all economic and social backgrounds. The faster you act, the sooner your child can start getting well.

-- If you suspect a problem, confront them. Ask for help.

-- Get to know your child's friends and their parents.

-- Know what your child is doing in their spare time.

-- Get to "really" know your child

-- Talk to you child about your feelings regarding drugs and alcohol.

-- Don't let them get away with excuses.

-- Set guidelines of what you will not allow in your home.

-- Be a good role model.

Get Involved in Your Child's Life:

Explore what's going on in your child's emotional or social life that may influence drug use. Ask your child questions about school and friends. If your child is reluctant to talk, get help from your child's school guidance counselor or family physician. If necessary, contact a local drug treatment referral and assessment center. They may get a better response. Getting your child to talk openly with you is an important first step to recovery.

Take time to discuss the drug problem openly with your child. Discuss how to avoid using drugs and alcohol in the future. It shows that your child's well-being is important to you and that you still love them, despite what they have done or are doing. Be firm when enforcing discipline. Give your child insight on how to regain trust, such as checking in regularly, spending evenings at home, and improving grades.

The key is to get involved early in your child's life to discuss the harmful effects of drugs before they start. It is important that you be supportive of your child and talk frequently. Make sure your child knows you love them.

HBO SPECIAL : ADDICTION PROJECT

ADDICTION

One in four Americans has a family member who is struggling with addiction. HBO, in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA), and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), has produced an unprecedented multi-media campaign aimed at helping Americans understand addiction as a treatable brain disease, as well as spotlighting new medical advancements.

Some Helpful Websites

ONDCP offers parents booklets and websites for parents.

Keeping your Kids Drug-Free - A How to Guide for Parents and Caregivers

Suspect Your Teen Is Using Drugs or Drinking? - A Brief Guide to Action For Parents

Wake Up to the Risks of Marijuana - : A Guide for Parents

When It's Not Your Kid - How Do You Deal With Drug Use and Drinking?

Parental Tips
	Partnership for a Drug Free America Launches "Time to Talk" to encourage Parent/ Teen conversations about living healthy drug free lives Parents. The Anti-Drug is a drug prevention information center providing community support for parents. NIDA Intensifies Focus on Marijuana Abuse Marijuana abuse is particularly prevalent among adolescents

Helpful Information

Cough Syrup

What parents need to know about cough medicine abuse

Office of National Drug Control Policy "More young people are now in treatment for Marijuana dependency than for alcohol or for all other illegal drugs combined."

Office of Applied Studies

In 2008, an estimated 20.1 million Americans aged 12 or older were current (past month) illicit drug users, meaning they had used an illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview This estimate represents 8.0 percent of the population aged 12 or older.