“It was like night and day,” says Cheri, whose adult son started using fentanyl when he was in his 20s. “Sometimes he would be fine, the same son that I raised for years. Other times he would seem groggy, out of it, and confused. I never took note of the straws I’d seen around his house until I connected his recent behavior to drug use. Once I connected the dots, all I could think about was how afraid I was of losing him.”
Spotting fentanyl addiction warning signs in your child can be a difficult and scary experience. Your initial reaction might range from fury, to disbelief, to fear, to outright panic—but whatever you feel, it will likely be intense. After all, this is the child that you have raised and watched grow. To see your son or daughter fall into the struggle of drug addiction is heartbreaking. But after this initial response passes, you have the opportunity to enact change.
Helping your child into treatment isn’t going to be easy. You might need to enlist the help of an intervention specialist to determine the best way to connect with and communicate the necessity of treatment to your child. But residential programs are the most effective way of dealing with addiction to opioids, especially ones as addictive and powerful as fentanyl. As scary as it seems, it’s the right decision for your child and family as a whole.
It can be surprisingly easy for warning signs to go unnoticed. When you’re a parent, you never want to believe that your child might have fallen into the clutches of addiction. You brush off the little red flags that pop up here and there, connecting each one to something, anything else because you don’t want to believe in the worst-case scenario. It’s only natural to want the best for your child, and to let your love cloud your judgment at times. But there are many ways to channel this love, and some are more effective for guiding them to treatment.
Common signs of fentanyl addiction to watch for include:
If you notice a cluster of these signs in your child, there’s a good chance that they are struggling with fentanyl addiction. The important thing to do at this point is to accept what you’re feeling, whether it’s guilt, shame, or sadness, and focus on moving forward with the next steps. As difficult as things are now, there is always a road to recovery ahead.
Just because you can’t convince your child right away to get treatment, that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road. Guiding them toward recovery can be difficult, especially with the whirlwind of emotions that you’re probably feeling. But you can help your child, and there are some crucial steps that will make the process much more effective.
It might take a few tries, but never give up. With the right tools and help, you can break through your child’s fentanyl addiction and help them begin on their path to recovery. And once they embark on this path, they will see the potential they have to create a new life.
The uncertainty that surrounds you when your child is struggling with addiction can be scary. But once you successfully get them into a comprehensive fentanyl addiction treatment program, they will have the tools necessary to break out of the haze of addiction. From mindfulness meditation to experiential therapy, they will be able to uncover the causes of their fentanyl use and replace them with adaptive therapies conducive to recovery.
And even after they leave, they will have a connected support network to fall back on when they feel their lowest. But most importantly, you will also remain connected to supports that you can use for guidance anytime you feel the need. Because as a parent, you are a crucial part of your child’s journey, and you need support just as much as they do.
Alta Mira offers comprehensive treatment for people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction as well as co-occurring mental health disorders and process addictions. Contact us to learn more about our renowned programs and how we can help you or your loved one start the journey toward recovery.
