Addiction is considered a disease that is called Substance Use Disorder (SUD). And just like some diseases it can be cured. But the way to sobriety is not easy. When a person starts becoming an addict, they will have a hard time getting out of that situation.
According to research half of people 12 and older have used illicit drugs at least once in the US. This means that addicting substances can be accessed by anyone, including your children. If you have a daughter who is battling with drug addiction and you want to help her out, read this page.
Part 1: Signs of Drug Addiction
The first thing you have to do is look out for some signs. Knowing what signs your daughter has can help you know the best way to help and how to approach a drug addict.
Changes in Behavior
Drugs can interfere with a person’s brain, it affects the way neurons send, receive, and process signals. That’s why a person’s behavior changes when she intakes drugs. You will notice changes like;
- Constant Mood Swings
- Anger Issues
- Hyperactivity
- Anxiety
- Criminal Behavior
These symptoms vary on how much or how strong the drugs the person takes. If a person has been taking drugs for a long time (a year or more) this will permanently impair their way of thinking like their memory, learning, and judgment.
Changes in Physical Appearance
Aside from behavioral symptoms, being an addict can also be detected through a person’s appearance.
If the brain senses something wrong in our system, it will immediately send a signal to the body, the body will then respond by showing symptoms. As for drug use, the physical symptoms are;
- Bloodshot eyes
- Weight changes (loss or gain)
As I said, drug intake affects a person’s way of judgment, and that’s why we also see drug addicts that have poor grooming and hygiene. Because a person is too intoxicated with the substance they intake, they will no longer care about their appearance
Part 2: Things to Remember when Helping a Drug-Addicted Daughter
After assessing your daughter, the next thing you have to do is know the precautions. Helping a drug addict is not as easy as you think it is. It is like walking on thin ice, one wrong move and you might crack their attention and they will avoid and not listen to you.
So before talking to her, here are things that you should know and consider.
You might be Enabling Your Daughter
As a parent, you will do your best to provide what’s best for your kids. And sometimes we do things that we think will be good for them, but in reality, it’s actually pushing them to do wrong.
If you’re giving your daughter money, you have to check if that money is used for her needs or for drugs. Maybe the reason why she still has access to them is because of the money you give.
And let’s also talk about how you treat your daughter. Are you strict? Do you pressure her? Did you have some misunderstandings? The way you treat her might be the reason why she’s on drugs. Maybe she’s depressed or stressed about the situation at home, and drugs are the only thing that helps her calm and relax.
Maybe she feels neglected by you and taking drugs is her way of rebelling against you to get your attention. Take note of these things and bring them up when you talk to her.
You Can’t Fix Her on Your Own
Drug addiction is not a minor thing, it changes and destroys a person’s life, and if you think you can fix this problem by yourself, you’re absolutely wrong.
I’m not saying that you’re no help, but a drug addict’s problem is not just about their mentality, they also have emotional and health problems. And those three also have sub-issues, you have to deal with their stress, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
It’s a lot, and personally, I don’t think one person can handle all that. As much as she needs help, you also need assistance to help her. This is a fight you can’t win by yourself. You need the help of professionals, rehab facilities, and even the support of family and friends.
And most of all, your daughter has to help herself too. You can’t help a person if they do not want to. So don’t put so much pressure on yourself, you need to have a steady mind and strong heart if you want your daughter to get through her addiction.
Things in Her Life will Never be the Same Again
Your daughter can recover from drug addiction, but it will change her life permanently. Addiction takes years or a lifetime to treat. And living a life while battling addiction is like dodging bullets without a bulletproof vest. You can get hit and fall into darkness again anytime.
There is a stigma in our society that damages the image of recovered addicts. Your daughter will receive criticism from other people and even establishments. They will be avoided by some people. Also, some companies turn down people who have a history of drugs or any other addictions. And this will affect how your daughter thinks of herself.
But here’s the truth, there is life after addiction. No matter what people say, your daughter has the right to live freely. We all fight our own battles, it just happens that some people have tougher battles than we have. Her life might never be the same, but that’s why you’re there, you will be her light and hope.
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Part 3: Ways to Help a Drug-Addict Daughter
As I said, treating and dealing with a drug-addicted person is like walking on thin ice, you have to be very careful. You can’t just tell your daughter to do this and that, you have to take things slow. Apart from the things that you should do, there are also things that you should avoid. So here are some do’s and dont’s to help a drug-addict daughter.
Do 1: Understand Her
A person with SUD has underlying reasons why they got into drugs, it could be because of peer pressure, mental health problems, and more. And in order to help your daughter you must first understand why she’s doing it.
People think that a person who uses drugs is vile, but in reality, some of them take those substances to hide the pain they feel. And this could be your daughter’s situation. Try to sympathize with her, know what she’s going through, ask her reasons, and try to understand them. You have to be sincere when you do this, otherwise, she may not open up to you.
Do 2: Let all the Family Members Show their Support
As I said, you can’t win the battle alone, you need reinforcements. Your daughter might feel isolated and think that the world hates her for what she’s done. Don’t let her feel that or she might fall into depression and be dependent on drugs again.
At this point, you will need the support of other people like her friends and other family members. They can cheer her up and support her. This way she will never feel alone.
Do 3: Keep an Eye on Her
If your daughter is still in recovery, there’s still a chance that she might sneak behind your back and go back to drugs. Well, this is the time that you will need the help of a monitoring tool to keep track of her activities.
mSpy is the ultimate child tracker tool that gives you full remote access to your child’s phone.
mSpy Phone Monitoring
Monitor everything happens on the target iPhone/iPad/Android phone/tablet.
Read Social Media chats, calls, posts, likes, and comments
Track real-time phone location and set geo-fence
View SMS, iMs, call logs, contacts, & browser history
With this program, there’s no need to follow her around or stalk her, you will know her activities through your own device with the help of its amazing features. Check them out!
Location Tracker
She might sneak out of the house to meet up with other drug users. Well with mSpy, you can easily know their meet-up place, and you can try to rescue her or catch her in the act.
This feature can give you their current location with just one click. It also provides a list of her location history. This will give you an idea of the places she’s visiting, you then check these places yourself.
Set Up Geo-Fence
This feature acts as a digital fence. You can set safe and dangerous zones around your daughter’s location, and if she enters or exits those zones, you will immediately receive alerts. Now, if your daughter likes sneaking out, this feature will definitely come in handy.
Read her Texts and Chats
If you want to know the people your daughter is interacting with, then you’ll definitely like this next one. mSpy lets you see all your daughter’s conversations in text and chats on Social Media apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and more.
Now, if she’s still in contact with drug people, there you will see if those people are still influencing her, or if she’s the one pursuing them to give her drugs.
mSpy is a great tool with lots of amazing features, try it now!
mSpy Phone Monitoring
Monitor everything happens on the target iPhone/iPad/Android phone/tablet.
Read Social Media chats, calls, posts, likes, and comments
Track real-time phone location and set geo-fence
View SMS, iMs, call logs, contacts, & browser history
Consider Rehab
If encouraging words didn’t work and your daughter can’t give up drugs, then maybe it’s time you send her to rehab. Rehabilitation centers have programs that are centered to help those who can’t recover from addiction. Inside the facility, your daughter will go through activities and counseling. Also being isolated from the world will give them less chance of acquiring drugs.
Although being in rehab could be lonely, it’s an effective method. A lot of people have recovered from addiction after admitting themselves to rehabilitation centers. But remember, forcing her won’t work and she will only resist.
What you need to do is make her understand how the facility can help her. And it’s only temporary, if she’s already sober, she can go out and be with you again.
And while she’s in rehab, you must still support her by visiting or sending gifts. That way she won’t feel neglected and alone.
Don’t 1: Do Not Treat Her like a Child
She might not be stable, but you still have to let her be. Don’t treat her as a child, your role is to guide and help her, not control her. People who take drugs can be mentally unstable, and the last thing you want to do is let them think that you’re taking over her life and treating her as a child.
Make her feel that you trust her. You can give her some responsibilities or tasks that she can do by herself. I know that you’re thinking that it’s better to hide her away to avoid temptations, but she might get the wrong idea and refuse your help.
If she starts to gain self-confidence, then maybe she also gains the courage to stand up for herself and start to recover.
Don’t 2: Don’t Blame Her for what Happened
I already mentioned that there are underlying reasons why people do drugs, and that’s why you shouldn’t blame your daughter for what happened. If you put the blame on her, it will make the situation worse and she might rebel against you.
Be kind, and as said, understand things from her point of view. Don’t judge and just be there for her.
Part 4: Institutions Can Help with Drug Addiction Recovery
There are a lot of places you can reach out to help your daughter battle her drug addiction. These facilities offer different programs to help the patient recover from addiction.
The first place you may want to check is SAMHSA/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. This institute is founded by the US Congress to aid drug problems and help people that are in need of assistance. FindTreatment.gov is a part of SAMHSA’s programs, check it out to find drug rehabilitation facilities near your area.
Here are some well-rated facilities we found:
Laguna Treatment Hospital, California
Address: 24552 Pacific Park Drive Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Tel: 435-268-5602
Website: https://lagunatreatment.com/
River Oaks Treatment Center, Florida
Address: 12012 Boyette Road Riverview, FL 33569
Tel: 640-600-8168
Website: https://riveroakstreatment.com/
Greenhouse Treatment Center, Texas
Address: 1171 107th Street Grand Prairie, TX 75050
Tel: 415-223-0523
Website: https://greenhousetreatment.com/
Sunrise House Treatment Center, New Jersey
Address: 37 Sunset Inn Road Lafayette Township, NJ 07848
Tel: 662-262-8267
Website: https://sunrisehouse.com/
All these places are under and are recommended by the American Addiction Centers. You also check out all the facilities under their program here.
mSpy Phone Monitoring
Monitor everything happens on the target iPhone/iPad/Android phone/tablet.
Read Social Media chats, calls, posts, likes, and comments
Track real-time phone location and set geo-fence
View SMS, iMs, call logs, contacts, & browser history
Part 5: Learn to Let Go if Things Don’t Work Out
You can’t help a person who doesn’t even want to help themselves. That’s the truth you have to accept. If all your efforts are wasted and your kid refuses your help, then there’s no need to hold on. You have to let her go and move on with your life.
Your daughter has a mind of her own, and she knows what she’s doing. She’s aware that it’s no good and yet she continues to do it. Helping a person with this type of mentality will only be a waste of time. But before you let her go, you still can do some things to make sure she can be taken care of. Here are our suggestions.
File a Mandatory Rehab Petition
If your daughter is of legal age, you can ask the court to give her a mandatory rehab order. She will be forced to attend recovery programs to help her recover. But, as per our research, this petition is only granted to those people who have caused major issues in their community or at home.
Report Her to the Authorities
If her drug abuse has pushed her to do criminal acts, do not tolerate her. If she’s been robbing and stealing for money, or hurting people, maybe it’s time to let the cops take her into custody.
If ever she stays in jail, you can still show your support by visiting her. That way she might learn her lesson and realize what she’s done with her life.
Final Thoughts
This situation is frustrating, that’s why if you need help too, don’t hesitate to reach out to your family and friends. I know doing these things are hard, but this is the only way to help her. And if these things didn’t work, then that’s it. You’ve done your job as a parent, it’s time to let her be.