Many parents and guardians wonder what the right approach is to talk to teens about addiction; it can be a tough job. But it is a job we all need to do.
The best way to talk to your teen is, to be honest. Honesty can be difficult for parents who have an addiction. The stigma of addiction is not as strong as it used to be, but they still feel shame and guilt for many.
Honest conversation tips
Starting the conversation is the hardest part. Teens will often shut out what they do not want to hear but keep talking, keep having the conversation, repeat it over time.
Open the conversation with “I love you, and I want to have a serious and important conversation with you. Let’s sit down”. It is often easier to talk to kids at age 12 or 13 for the first time about addiction to substances and alcohol. Then, each year after that have the conversation again, starting with “I know we had this talk before, but it is important that we continue to keep communications about it, open and honest. I want you to know that you can always talk to me about this topic.”
From there, cover the realities about what happens when a person becomes addicted, what that person will lose.
- Health fails
- Accidents that could leave the addict or an innocent bystander maimed or dead
- Finances that will always be behind or nonexistent because they spend all the money on the addiction
- Relationships fail
- Jail for possession, sale, theft, or manslaughter if they kill someone during an accident while high
- Death from overdose
These are all things that could and do happen to addicts. Even if the addict thinks they have control of the addiction, the addiction has control of them.
You need to make them aware of the help available today, starting with you, hotlines, and rehab centers. If they know that you will always love and support them emotionally, they will be more likely to come to you.
Have a plan that they can learn and use to reduce the risk of addiction. It starts with ways to cope with peer pressure, anxiety, and stress and how to use natural relief for anxiety, pain, and stress. Eating healthy foods and exercise can help with anxiety and stress; it can also keep the body healthy.
Recovery help
449 Recovery provides a safe and clean atmosphere to recovery from addiction. We offer a continuously monitored detox program and therapies to teach the addict the tools they need to maintain their recovery when they leave.
Our therapies include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, group therapy, and individual therapy for inpatient and outpatients. We also have family therapy every third weekend. Some of the tools you will learn are healthy eating, exercise, and ways to cope with anxiety and stress.
Call us today (855) 435-7449 to learn more about our center and the therapies we offer.