Parents
who suspect or find out about their child’s addiction are usually left shocked,
devastated and are at a loss of figuring out a plan of action to help their
child. If you suspect your child is abusing a substance, a good starting point
is to take them to your family doctor to screen them for substance or alcohol
abuse. Being overwhelmed is a normal reaction. As a parent, blaming yourself
might seem like the only reasonable explanation for you but you have to
understand that the causes of addiction are complex and varied. And it is
definitely not your place to analyze and try to fix such a delicate situation
on your own. You are not a qualified professional to deal with such a complex
issue. Such issues should be reserved for a specialized counseling psychologist to deal with.
Although
addictions are a personal affair, it leaves a huge impact on not only the
sufferer but also on his or her near and dear ones. While the shell-shocked
feeling is, of course, something that doesn’t go away soon, another grave
problem is the rift it creates between the substance abuser and the rest of the
family. Particularly in the case of teens, parents start viewing their children
with a mixture of shock, fear and suspicion. They do not know how to react, and
the teens can see this in their eyes, further increasing their sense of
alienation. It is at critical junctures like these that a typical counseling
psychologist is needed. A good family
therapist in Mumbai should be able to help out greatly in this regard. A
family therapist will ideally have joint sessions with the entire family
including the teens, their parents and siblings. The aim here will be to ensure
that they all communicate with each other in a healthy and constructive way.
You see, when something of this magnitude happens, the first thing that breaks
down is communication. Due to feelings of pain and anger on both sides, the
first conversations are usually fuelled by anger and things go only downhill
from there. Once the psychologist or therapist initiates the conversation, it
becomes easier for family members to talk openly. The therapist also acts as a
support system for the teen who is suffering from substance abuse and makes
them feel less alone. A guided attempt is made to understand what kind of
issues resulted in things reaching this juncture. The therapist may also choose
to have a one-on-one session with the teen because children may not be
comfortable revealing many things to their parents directly. The end goal is to
not only improve relations within the family but to also collectively figure
out a plan of action to help the teen.
People
believe having a therapist means you have a mental illness. But these days
therapists work towards helping a range of people achieve what is known as
mental wellness. Which is why you not only have family therapists but relationship advisors and marriage
counsellors to help people with their problems.
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