Are you exhausted from worry? Who thinks about the substance your teen abuses more? You, or your teen? What if you give up your obsession with their substance of choice? What else could you do with all that time you spend devoted to thinking about it? How much suffering do all those thoughts about their …
Your teen’s substance abuse can be emotionally heavy. It feels physically heavy sometimes. Laughter provides much needed relief from all the tension. Just because you enjoy some laughter with your teen doesn’t mean you approve of all their actions. My daughter and I had an argument at a drive through one night, and she took …
You know how when you are on an air plane they tell you to put your oxygen mask on first? You have to do that when your teen is abusing substances as well. The natural response is to put all your energy and resources toward helping your teen with their substance abuse. Their substance …
The most surprising lesson I have learned from substance abuse is unconditional love. Unconditional love is the willingness to work through all the discomfort I feel because I see my teen suffering, and I want to fix it, and I can’t fix it, but I keep showing up with love in the face of that …
How Unconditional Love Helps When Your Child Is Abusing Substances Read More »
You can choose to feel however you want. When you are facing your teen’s substance abuse It doesn’t feel like it, but you have a choice about how you feel. For years I chose to feel angry because I thought substance abuse stole my daughter from me. I felt robbed of our relationship and every …
You Have a Choice About How You Feel When Your Child Is Abusing Substances Read More »
Deciding ahead of time will save you from yourself. Doors are slamming, voices are raised, tensions are high, and angry words are being exchanged. You are in the heat of the moment with your teen. Does this sound like a good time to make a decision? Deciding how you are going to handle this situation …
There is no perfect decision. Decide ahead of time, that no matter what decision you make it is the right decision. Your teen’s substance abuse requires you to make many decisions. Where do you get help? Which doctor, lawyer, counselor, psychiatrist, psychologist, in patient treatment center, out patient treatment center, nutritionist, medication assisted treatment, detox, …
Why You Have To Make Decisions When Your Teen Is Abusing Substances Read More »
Acceptance is not approval. It is simply receiving the situation as it is, rather than resisting it and fighting against it. When you accept it, you are no longer telling yourself this should not be happening. You accept that this is reality and figure out how to meet your teen where they are at. The …
Acceptance as a tool for keeping your sanity amid your teen’s substance abuse. Read More »