Are you looking for resources that will help your child stay in recovery?
If your son or daughter is in the midst of their drug use, you probably spend a lot of time worrying. Like most parents, you want this problem solved.
Inpatient treatment is not for everyone. Yet, you may feel lighter if your child goes into a treatment program. For 30, 60, or 90 days you’ll be able to sleep at night, knowing that someone else is helping your child live a healthier life.
If your child goes into a sober living environment, which in many cases is highly recommended, you can also feel a sense of relief.
I have always felt that aftercare resources are crucial to long-term change. The longer a person is supported through treatment and sober living, the better the chances that they will stay in long-term recovery. To this day, I feel that my daughter’s length of stay in treatment and sober living was one of the major things that helped her change her life for the better.
Yet, this isn’t doable for everyone. There are other options that can get a person on the road to recovery as well.
People can stop using substances on their own without any resources or treatment, but it is more challenging.
What is wonderful about early recovery is to see your child regain their confidence. Proof that they can make good decisions will help them move forward.
Believing in themselves can make all the difference.
However, change takes time.
Rather than going through it alone, look to professionals and resources in the addiction field to help you create a family recovery plan.
Educate yourself on the latest research-based information. Read as much as you can about substance use. Help yourself first before you try to help your child.
I found that the more I learned the better I did
Here are three resources to consider using together or separately that can help support your child’s recovery.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
When considering medication-assisted treatment, your child’s discussion with medical professionals can help them decide their best course of action. Therapy, combined with MAT, helps to treat substance use disorders.
Medication-assisted treatment can reduce the risk of overdoses and help those in recovery live a more balanced life.
These medications allow a person to be a reliable employee, complete their education, and generally function without the ups and downs of drug abuse. They also help prevent loss of life due to overdose.
Here are four options to consider:
1) Suboxone is a prescription medication for the treatment of opioid dependence. As with any maintenance drug, it should be used in combination with therapy and other supports. Suboxone can be abused. There can also be side effects, so it is important to use Suboxone only under the supervision of a doctor.
To learn more about Suboxone, watch this video from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids:
2) Methadone is used to treat addiction to opiates (such as heroin). Methadone, which is taken once a day, eases opiate withdrawal for 24 to 36 hours. It decreases the chance of relapse. As a treatment for opiate addiction, methadone reduces the cravings and withdrawal symptoms by opiate use by blocking the “high” and preventing the intense euphoric rush of these drugs.
3. Naltrexone (Vivitrol) – Naltrexone is the generic form of the brand-name drug Vivitrol, which is used to prevent substance use in people who have been addicted to alcohol or opioid pain medications. Naltrexone should be combined with other treatments for addiction such as lifestyle changes, counseling, and support. The drug is in a class of medicines known as opiate antagonists. It works by blocking the effects of narcotic drugs. You can use naltrexone as a tablet and an injection.
4) Probuphine is a tiny implant inserted into the arm. It delivers a constant low dose of buprenorphine — a medication already used to treat opioid addiction — for six months. It was approved by the FDA on May 26, 2016. U.S. patients are now receiving the implant to treat opioid addiction. You can find more information about Probuphine here and here.
Medication-assisted treatment is not for everyone; however, it has been shown to be helpful in supporting long-term recovery combined with therapy and other support.
For more information, visit the website for The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). It is a professional society where you can learn more about medication-assisted treatment and get help finding a doctor in your area.
Support Groups Are Great Resources
Community is the key when it comes to recovery. It’s challenging to make positive changes in your life. It is even harder to do it alone. Thankfully, there are many resources such as a support group to choose from.
Support groups allow you to talk freely about your issues and learn from others. They can help you feel less alone and isolated.
While people in support groups are usually helpful, do keep in mind that they are not necessarily the experts for your particular situation. As they say in Alanon, “Take what you like and leave the rest.”
Keep in mind that group members are not trained professionals, except for SMART recovery group leaders. While it is, of course, helpful to hear another person’s story, remember that they are sharing their opinion. Of course, take in what they have to say, but to make decisions about your personal treatment plan, including a professional who is using the latest research-based information.
Helpful support groups are, of course, AA and NA. Others include SMART Recovery, Women for Sobriety, Life Ring and Refuge Recovery.
If you don’t feel that a 12 Step group will work for you, check out my article, The 12 Step Program Doesn’t Work for Everyone (But There Is an Alternative), for other options.
SMART Recovery Family Support and Al-Anon Family Groups are just a couple of the support groups available for family members.
Recovery is always a personal, unique journey. Find the community that will support you in the best way possible.
Books Can Inspire and Inform
“At the end of the day, our recovery must be based not on shame or perfectionism or the need to impress others, but on our willingness to be kind to ourselves.” ~ Erica Spiegelman
Resources that often help me are books. Recently, I read Erica Spiegelman’s book Rewired. I was especially taken with the book because Erica explained in an interesting way her personal recipe for recovery.
Whether you attend support groups or not, Rewired will give you tips and strategies to stay on track as you progress down your recovery path.
Erica includes twelve values to help you stay focused on your goal. They start with Authenticity, Honesty, Evolution, Solitude, Time Management, Self-Care, Healthy Relationships, Gratitude, Compassion, Love, Affirmations, Intentions, and last, but of course not least, Hope. She calls her philosophy a whole-soul makeover.
As with so many recovery books, Rewired offers a recipe that could help anyone live a better life. Erica acknowledges that with so many options now available, it can sometimes feel difficult to find the right path. Her book offers a simple common sense approach to recovery that can be tailored to your beliefs.
You deserve to have an individual plan tailored just for you so that you can live your best life possible. Rewired could be the perfect additional resource to have on your nightstand. It could help reinforce your plan, whatever that might be.
According to Erica, “The only requirement is that you learn to develop a sense of Authenticity —-that intuitive voice that is so precious and innate to every one of us. Authenticity is what allows us to navigate the challenges of life without compromising our bodies, minds, or spirits.”
Recovery is not easy. Yet millions are in recovery!
Remember, our kids have to wake up every morning and decide if they are going to use substances or not. Acknowledge their good decisions.
Tell them often that you love them. Be there for them.
Don’t lose hope. Your child can change their life.
Get your Free Guide today.Is your child struggling with drugs or alcohol?
