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What to do if you Think your Child is an Addict

For every parent, one of the most important things in life is his or her children and their health. This concern and the responsibility, should be translated in the actions we take to make our children’s life more beautiful and healthy.

Parents have many opportunities to foster healthy, drug–free lifestyles in their children, playing a dominant role in their children’s emotional and interpersonal development from infancy. Children are taught ethical values and responsibility through what social scientists call “Modelling”, or demonstrating acceptable behaviours for children to follow.

Parents who have responsible habits and attitudes regarding drug use send a healthy message and strongly influence their children’s ideas about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Parents are models for their children, and even the use of legal drugs may send the wrong signal.

A basic reality is that children will have to make their way in a world that is filled with opportunities to use drugs, but parents can prepare their children to make positive choices. High self–esteem sometimes helps children resist peer pressure to use drugs, but not always. Research is unclear about the relationship between self–esteem and drug use. However, all children need opportunities to practice decision–making and to become aware of the consequences of bad decisions. Parents need to provide clear, factual information about drugs and their effects.

They also need to appropriately supervise their children. For example, parents should know their children’s friends and be aware of what their children are doing. They also need to ensure that there is proper supervision of after–school and weekend activities and that all parties are chaperoned by responsible adults.

Show interest
Showing real interest in what your child is doing, saying, thinking, and feeling is very important. It demonstrates to your child that you care about them, and helps them feel important. Feeling cared for and important helps them understand that their parents will love them even when they do something wrong, and that their parents will always be there to help them.

Express your feelings
Love can be expressed and communicated in many ways. Such as simply saying “I love you”. can do wonders. Communication also occurs by more subtle, non–verbal cues, such as gestures, tone of voice, facial expression, etc. Children are particularly good at picking up on non–verbal messages.

Provide physical and emotional support
Children always expect support from parents. If you fail do so at proper time, it can send wrong signals to your child. When family members nurture each other, providing real care and loving concern, individuals develop the strength to handle their problems.

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