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 use.
Their substance use will take you down with it if you don’t get help for yourself.
It is a more formidable opponent than any parent is prepared for.
The best way to help your teen is to help yourself as well.
Your pain tells you to isolate and keep your teens substance use a secret.
Don’t do it.
Make your own mental health a priority.
Educate yourself about substance use and addiction.
Gaining understanding of what you are dealing with will give you the tools to support your teen and yourself.
Find 12 step meetings, Celebrate Recovery meetings, Facebook groups, a counselor, a life coach, and listen to stories of people in recovery.
Read books and do internet research.
Keep trying until you find something that helps you.
Substance use doesn’t have a time limit.
You don’t know how long it will last or if it will ever end.
The only way to get through it and keep your life manageable is to do whatever it takes to put your own oxygen mask on first.