Helping a person with a meth addiction can be difficult. However, it can be even more difficult to help a parent with a meth addiction. Despite this, it is necessary to help them to ensure their health and wellbeing as well as the health and wellbeing of their child or children. For those concerned about a parent with a meth addiction, there are five significant ways one can help them:  

5 Ways to Help

1. Be Sure the Parent is Abusing Meth (And Not a Different Substance)

Addiction takes many forms. Unfortunately, there are numerous addictive drugs, substances, and behaviors people in the United States and abroad abuse nearly everyday. Because of this, it can often be difficult to identify the exact substance an individual is abusing. 

Before approaching a parent about a meth addiction, one must be sure meth is the substance they are abusing. The easiest way to do this is to look for the common signs of a meth addiction. When an individual has consumed meth, they will often appear energetic and euphoric. However, when in withdrawal, they will often appear paranoid, mentally slow, irritated, and potentially even violent. Looking for these signs and confirming a parent’s meth addiction is the first step toward helping them.     

2. Approach the Parent Out of Concern

When approaching a parent about their meth addiction, it is important to ensure that one approaches them out of care and concern. An intervention about a person’s meth addiction should not feel like a confrontation. It should feel more like a loved one expressing genuine concern. If one approaches a parent or any individual with a meth addiction with hostility or something like it, the approach is unlikely to be successful.

3. Approach the Parent with at least One Other Concerned Individual

Another beneficial way to help a parent with a meth addiction is to approach them about their addiction with another person, ideally another loved one. Adding another person who cares about the parent and their family into the mix can add significant weight to the concerns both individuals voice to the parent. It also helps establish more of a conversation with an open dialogue – rather than one person lecturing a parent about their meth addiction. 

4. Encourage Treatment, Never Force

A person with a meth addiction or any other kind of addiction should never be forced into treatment or rehab. Sadly, when a person is forced, they are less likely to have a successful recovery. The goal in approaching a parent with a meth addiction should be to encourage them to commit to treatment or rehab for themselves and their family. They must have the desire to become sober and remain sober in order to have a successful recovery.    

5. Never Give Up on the Parent

Unfortunately, no amount of preparation or rehearsal can truly guarantee success in approaching a parent with a meth addiction. All one can do is their best, utilize the methods in this list, and potentially seek the help or advice of an addiction specialist. Yet, even with that, a parent living with a meth addiction may deny the approach and refuse help. In situations like these, it is important to remain level headed and never give up on the parent. They still require help from their loved ones, and one must be prepared to give it to them.   

Seeking a Local Rehab for Meth Addiction?

If you or a parent you know are living with a meth addiction, help is available in your area! At Knoxville Recovery Center, our team of addiction experts provide several kinds of treatment and therapy in order to address the root causes of an addiction and achieve lasting sobriety. Contact us today for more information!