How to Help Your Mom with Addiction

Growing up with a mother who is addicted to drugs or alcohol can be extremely difficult, especially if her addiction started when you were very young. But what if your mom now wants to work toward overcoming her addiction? Is there something you can do to help her and make things easier for her?

Learn how to help your mom with addiction so you can be there for her whenever she needs your support.

Educate yourself about what addiction is

Many people think addiction is a choice, a flaw of character, or a moral failing. If this is what you believe, educating yourself about addiction should be the first thing you do to help your mom.

You need to understand that addiction is a disease and that although treating this disease is not easy, it is possible. You also have to acknowledge the fact that relapse is a normal part of recovery. If your mom has a relapse, it will not mean all the progress she made is lost.

Recovery is not a linear process, and your mom will need your support and understanding as she progresses and faces setbacks.

Offer her your support and remind her you care for her

Make sure your mom knows you want to help her with her addiction. Tell her you’ll listen to her whenever she needs to talk or vent about her struggles. Remind her that you love her and that you want her to overcome her addiction so she can live a healthier, happier life. Give her your support at every step of her recovery process. Remind her of how far she’s come whenever she faces challenges and encourage her to keep trying.

Make sure she has access to external support as well

As motivated as you might be to learn how to help your mom with addiction, you simply can’t help her overcome her struggles on your own. She will need external support. Of course, it’s a pleasure if she has friends or family supporting her. But you should encourage her to seek treatment and perhaps even check into an addiction treatment centre.

An addiction treatment centre would provide her with a safe environment where she could focus on her recovery. She would easily access all the resources and professional help she needed.

Communicate with her in an honest way

Whether your mom seeks inpatient or outpatient addiction treatment, you will need to check in on her regularly. Be sure to always communicate with her honestly and openly. Ask her how she is doing and listen to what she has to say without judging her.

Keep in mind that an addict in recovery might go through mood swings and experience many difficult emotions as they progress. Your mom might feel angry, defensive, or ashamed. Your goal will be to stay calm and make her feel understood and supported. You will also remind her that you care about her and want her to recover fully.

Be sure to set healthy boundaries

Although you want to help and support your mom, you have to set healthy boundaries to protect yourself and your energy. You also need to communicate those boundaries to her clearly.

Setting boundaries is even more important if you live with your mom. You could, for example, make it clear that no drugs or alcohol are allowed in the house. In addition, any of her friends under the influence are not welcome.

You should also stop lending money to your mom when she asks for it. You should also stop covering up for her if she gets into trouble because of her addiction.

Celebrate her progress with her and encourage her

You should support your mom when she struggles, feels irritable, or faces a setback. But it’s equally important to celebrate her progress and victories with her.

Recovery can be a long process, full of ups and downs. When things are working well, acknowledge them and congratulate your mom for her efforts. Let her know you’re proud of her.

When things become more challenging, encourage her to keep trying. Remind her that you’re proud of her for making it this far and that she can keep progressing on her recovery path.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself

Through it all, take proper care of yourself. If you neglect your own needs, you will not be able to succeed at helping your mom with her addiction. So, be kind to yourself, and prioritize your mental, physical, and emotional health. If you feel the need to, get some external support for yourself.