Drug addiction can strike anytime, anywhere. Whether your child agreed to take “just one hit” or began taking prescriptions under medical supervision, she has now reached a place of dependency. If your daughter is addicted to drugs, Augustine Recovery can help.
What is Addiction?
The scientific community refers to addiction as substance use disorder. It is defined as a chronic, relapsing condition requiring clinical intervention. When a person has a substance use disorder, they continue to use drugs or alcohol in spite of any negative consequences. Your daughter may lose her career, friendships, and marriage. Even if she encounters serious problems as a result of her behavior – homelessness, financial strain, or legal issues – you might be surprised to find that she still continues to use. This is because the pull of substance abuse is often stronger than these real-world problems.
Women in the grips of addiction may behave in ways that confuse or frighten you. Inappropriate comments, odd behavior, strange movements, changes in personality, constant fidgeting, and random outbursts are commonly associated with drug use. That’s because the decision-making part of the brain has been impacted by mind-altering substances. Also affected are the structures responsible for learning, memory, and self-control.
“Why Does My Daughter Use Drugs?”
No one begins using drugs with the goal of getting addicted. However, it can happen to anyone. The reasons behind substance abuse are countless. Here are a few of the most common ones we’ve heard at Augustine Recovery:
- Some women take stimulants to improve their performance at work.
- Some experiment with substances because of peer pressure or curiosity.
- Some people just want to feel the “high” associated with drug use.
- Some were prescribed drugs and began taking higher doses due to tolerance issues.
- Some women use drugs in an attempt to cope with trauma, stress, or mental illness.
There is no “good” or “bad” reason for someone to develop a substance use disorder. Research shows that addiction is an equal opportunity illness – it affects people of all ages, races, and backgrounds.
If your daughter is addicted to drugs, it doesn’t mean you have failed as a parent, or that you have done something wrong. Luckily, there are steps you can take to help your child to get back on the right track.
What You Can Do for Your Daughter
The best thing you can do for your daughter is to seek out an accredited addiction treatment program. Ideally, it should cover the full continuum of care. This means that patients receive all stages of treatment – detox, residential programming, and aftercare – from one facility. If you find an all-in-one program like this, you will help your daughter to access the resources she needs to thrive in recovery. Some facilities may even offer treatment options for the rest of your family, which include educational sessions about the disease of addiction, along with group therapy sessions.
Why is professional treatment required? If your daughter attempts to quit on her own, she won’t address the factors contributing to her addiction. Underlying trauma and mental illness impact millions of women worldwide – in fact, women are twice as likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as their male counterparts. She can’t overcome these obstacles on her own, but with proven clinical care, recovery is possible.
If your daughter is not ready to pursue treatment, there are still steps you can take to help her.
Resist the Urge to Enable
It can be tempting to shield your child from the consequences of her addiction. Many parents find themselves giving their adult daughters money to stave off financial worry, for example. While this may seem right in the moment, it is the wrong decision. Enabling your daughter only prolongs the inevitable, while negatively impacting your family at the same time.
Find Support for Family Members
Watching your child struggle is uniquely difficult. You may feel like no one understands what you are going through, and the stigma around addiction probably makes it tough to confide in your friends. Seeking out programming like Al-Anon can be immensely helpful for you and other members of the family. When you realize that others are going through similar experiences, you will feel supported each step of the way.
Remember to Take Care of Yourself
Don’t get so wrapped up in worry that you forget about self-care. If you neglect your own well-being, responsibilities, or hobbies, you will be at high risk for burnout. Set aside time to do activities that you love, get some exercise, and unwind in the evenings. Begin attending your own therapy sessions if you need additional support. Being proactive about your physical and mental health will empower you to be there for your child.
Women’s Addiction Treatment in St. Augustine, Florida
Do you feel like you’re losing your daughter to drug addiction? There is hope. At Augustine Recovery, we provide addiction treatment tailored to the needs of women. In our women-only rehab program, our clinicians provide individual therapy sessions, trauma treatment, and process groups over the course of 90 days. Over this time, the women in our care are able to break the cycle of addiction and find lasting recovery.
To learn more, contact our admissions team.
