Addiction recovery is a difficult process. It requires a massive shift in mindset, behavior, and lifestyle. For people who are also parenting, there can be additional struggles and stressors. At Safe Harbor Recovery Center in Portsmouth, Virginia, we want to give you the tools to support mothers and fathers you know who are recovering from addiction.
Ways You Can Help
When a parent is in recovery, especially in the early stages, it can be difficult to juggle everything they need to do to stay sober and also manage their job and household successfully. There are numerous ways you can make their lives easier, which include:
- Babysitting. A person in recovery may need to attend therapy, support groups, meetings with their sponsor, and treatment, on top of prioritizing self-care, working, and doing everything else any parent would have to do. If you’re able to watch their children and offer them support while they do these things or help them to arrange for childcare, that can make their life much easier.
- Becoming the primary caregiver. If a parent needs inpatient treatment, they may or may not be able to take their child with them to treatment. Parents worry that their children will be taken from them and placed in foster care with strangers. If you can step in to provide care for their children while they get treatment, this may make it easier for a parent to accept the help they need to eventually break the cycle of addiction that many families struggle to escape. If they experience a relapse, which can sometimes be a part of the recovery process, knowing they can count on you to care for their little ones can make it easier for them to more quickly ask for the help they need to get back on track.
- Easing financial burdens. Bringing the parent some groceries, baby supplies, a hot meal, back-to-school essentials, or other things the family needs can be immensely helpful, especially if the parent had to cut their work hours to get treatment for their addiction. Connecting them to community resources to meet these needs can also help.
- Helping with household tasks. With everything they have on their plate, it can be difficult for a parent who is learning how to be sober to also stay on top of the dishes, laundry, meal prep, and other chores, but having a tidy, well-managed home greatly improves a person’s mental health.
- Giving a lift. In some cases, a person’s choices while they were in active addiction may have resulted in the loss of their driver’s license. Helping them get where they need to go or get their children where they need to be can make life easier.
- Offering a caring ear. There are many struggles and worries a person faces while parenting, not to mention recovering from addiction. It can feel very lonely if you don’t feel like you have anyone to talk to without judgement about what you’re experiencing.
- Being a social connection. When a person is in active addiction, they often become isolated from family and friends. When they get sober, they have to leave behind people who are still using to reduce their risk of relapse. This can leave them with no support system and no one to socialize with. You can introduce them to people you know who will be good connections for them to have on their parenting journey, in their work life, or to just be a friend.
- Providing reassurance. Many people question if they are good parents, and the guilt of having struggled with addiction can make this worry even worse. Having someone who can tell you that you’re a good parent and offer encouragement is a valuable resource.
- Educating yourself about addiction and recovery. Often, the messages we receive from the media and society about substance use disorders are inaccurate and stigmatizing. We can unknowingly absorb these ideas in a way that causes us to unwittingly perpetuate stigma and harm. Learning more and becoming an ally for people in recovery can make it easier for them to talk about what they are experiencing.
At Safe Harbor Recovery Center, we know that all people need connection and support to live happy, fulfilling lives. For people in recovery who are also parenting, this is especially important.