Daughter of a Parent who is Addicted to Alcohol or Drugs

If you are the daughter of a parent who is addicted to alcohol or drugs, you are in an incredibly difficult situation. This may mean that you are growing up in a home where your needs have not been properly managed, and if you have left home you may feel like your childhood was ruined because of the substance abuse. When parents are caught up in addiction it makes it almost impossible for them to take care of their family responsibilities. It means that they are incapable of taking care of their children and instead the child may be forced into a position of taking care of them. It is often said that addiction is a family disease because it only takes one member of this unit to be addicted to drag the whole family down. When a parent is addicted it leads to a dysfunctional family, and it is usually the children who suffer the most.

Why Do Addicted Parents Behave As They Do?

It is hard for the daughter of an addicted parent to understand what is going on. They may even have times when they blame themselves for the situation, but this is just plain wrong. Even if the addicted individual tries to justify their behaviour by citing problems in the family they are just making excuses. The only reason they behave as they do is that they are physically and psychologically dependent on these substances. They will always be able to find excuses, but this is just a form of denial so they can avoid facing the truth that it is alcohol and drugs that is causing their problems.

The parent behaves as they do because they are ill and not because of anything their child might have done. When they first began using alcohol or drugs they will not have intended to become addicted, but this is what has happened to them. The only way now for their life to improve will be for them to end the addiction and find better ways of coping with life. There is not much you can do as a daughter to improve their life until they become ready to change. Your duty until then is to take care of yourself, and this means getting support so that you can make it through this intolerable situation. You will be able to find the support you need from groups like Families Anonymous and Alateen.

How to Help the Addicted Parent

It is not really possible to help the addicted parent until they become ready to quit – the most you can do up until then is to encourage them to reach this point. Remember that if you are still living at home as a dependent, your priority has to be yourself – it is not your duty as a daughter to fix your parent. There are things that the whole family can do to help end the addiction though, and one possibility would be an intervention. This is where family and friends come together as a unit to confront the individual and try to get them to see the reality of their situation. In order for an intervention to work, it needs to be done correctly. It is also important to have some type of rehab ready to accept the individual because any delay will give the parent a chance to change their mind. You can contact us here on 0800 024 1478 for advice on how to deal with this situation.

Once the parent becomes ready for rehab, we will be able to assist them. Our team is expert when it comes to rehab placement, and many of these are people who have their own experiences with dealing with addiction problems. There is no obligation to anything by contacting us, and we will be very happy to help. We will be able to suggest a treatment plan for your parent that will be based around their situation. Should they agree to enter rehab we will be able to arrange everything. Contact us right away by phone or text “help” to 66777 and we will get right back to you.

Help for family, friends, and close ones is just as important as the help people suffering with addiction need. Seek support to find the right path.