Attending Rehab As A Parent

Getting Treatment For Substance Abuse As A Parent

While it can be difficult for almost anyone with substance abuse issues to take the difficult step of committing to drug rehab, the road to recovery may be even more difficult for an addicted parent. Along with all the other difficulties that come with seeking addiction treatment, addicted parents must arrange other childcare for their children while they go to rehab if they are planning on utilizing a residential treatment center.

In the best case scenario, the parent will be able to leave the children with a spouse or other family member while they attend rehab, and will be able to maintain custody of their child throughout their rehab center process. However, If a parent is sufficiently incapacitated due to a substance use disorder, the child’s safety may be at risk, in which case the parents may lose custody in order to ensure the child’s protection.

So, parents who do not have family members who can commit to raising children while they go to rehab may face the threat of losing custody of them due to their drug addiction if they cannot make alternate arrangements. According to the National Association for Children of Addiction, one in four children in the US is exposed to dependence on drugs or alcohol in their family, an experience that can lead to “serious physical and emotional difficulties” and a plethora of long-term risks.

Though, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, most parents with substance abuse problems are not actually dangerous to their children, it is thus also true that a significant percentage of children who are in foster care are there due to a parental substance abuse problem.

Worries about custody, though, shouldn’t be a reason for a parent not going to rehab for drugs or alcohol if it is warranted by the severity of their substance use. For one thing, even in the unfortunate case that a parent does lose custody of a child while going to rehab, it will not necessarily be permanent, especially if a parent surrenders the child themselves. Though the child will likely be placed in temporary foster care, family services are obligated to work to reunite children with their parents once it is clear that returning home is a safe option.

This is in contrast to the likely outcome if the parent continues their substance abuse as opposed to choosing to seeking help from a qualified treatment provider. Parents suffering from sufficiently severe substance use disorders who do not seek treatment for their condition are at a high risk of losing custody due to factors like arrests or other evidence that the safety of their children is at risk.

It’s also worth noting that treatment options may include those that are flexible enough that a parent could attend intensive substance abuse treatment while still fulfilling their childcare and other family obligations.

Many rehab centers offer outpatient care, which means that instead of staying full time in a residential treatment facility as in typical inpatient rehab, patients will instead only have to come to the rehab center to receive treatment for a minimum of nine hours a week. American addiction centers that offer outpatient care also tend to be less expensive than inpatient rehab centers, so depending on your financial situation, insurance provider, and what you are looking for in a treatment provider, it could be a fitting option for your needs.

Thus, a parent may be able to participate in an addiction treatment program while their child is at school, or arrange childcare for only those few hours of rehab program instead of around the clock. Some American addiction centers also offer parents the opportunity to take their young children with them when they go to rehab, though this is relatively rare among rehab programs. However, allowing occasional visits from family members at set times is much more standard for most American addiction centers.

What To Expect in Addiction Treatment: Individual and Family Therapy

Once the parent has entered a rehabilitation program, a therapist or other qualified healthcare provider can begin to treat them for any underlying mental health disorder or other behavioral health conditions that may be fueling their drug or alcohol addiction.

These mental health issues will then be addressed with treatment options like the prescription of any appropriate medications and advanced recovery systems consisting of therapies scientifically backed by addiction research like cognitive behavioral therapy. Experts in addiction medicine at reputable American addiction centers will be able to asses you or your loved one’s individual needs, thus paving the way for individualized treatment options that will help them get to the root of their unique substance abuse issues.

High quality treatment facilities are also aware that a parent’s addiction affects not only themselves but their entire family unit. If you are a parent, both you and your children have likely been affected by your drug and alcohol use, which is why your addiction treatment may also involve the participation of other family members, such as in family therapy.

Family therapy sessions may explore unhealthy family dynamics and examine the structure of the family system, so that these problems can be resolved and healthier ways of relating can be established.

Family or individual therapy may also help children process the trauma of a parent’s substance use disorder, and both patients and their families often benefit from participation in support groups offered by drug addiction treatment centers. In support group meetings, former substance abusers may discuss strategies that helped them to stay sober from drug and alcohol, while loved ones will be able to discuss the emotional fallout that their family members drug use has had on them. For both groups, the community and acceptance that sharing stories can bring can be a valuable source of healing.

Depending on a child’s age, you may want to keep explanations of their parent’s substance use disorder vague and simple rather than risk going over their heads, but older children may be able to handle more information about a parent’s stay in drug rehab.

Use The Marchman Act To Force A Loved One To Go To Rehab For Drug Abuse

If you are worried about the drug abuse or alcohol abuse of a loved one who remains unwilling to commit to addiction treatment, you may want to consider forcing them to go to rehab by using the Marchman Act.

While involuntary commitment should be a last resort, professional medical advice dictates that, in situations where someone is a danger to themselves or others, such as if a parent’s drug addiction is rendering them incapable of adequately caring for a child, mandating someone to go to drug rehab may be the best option for ensuring that they do not fall victim to their own substance use disorder as well as to ensure their child’s safety.

Despite the risk that this course of actions could cause a parent to lose custody, in the end, a parent who finds their mandated addiction treatment beneficial is far more likely to eventually be able to be a positive influence in their children’s lives. Advanced recovery systems and treatment options offered in American addiction centers have a high likelihood of putting anyone who suffers from a substance use disorder back on the track to a healthy, productive life, while someone who refuses to consider a treatment provider is likely to continue their downward spiral.

For more information on using the Marchman Act to force a loved one into a drug rehab treatment program, feel free to call us anytime at 833-497-3808 or to contact us online anytime here. We can also arrange a consultation with a professional intervention counselor who may have the ability to convince your loved one to consider drug rehab programs without such extreme measures, or help you to get in touch with a qualified admissions representative for drug rehab treatment centers that may be appropriate to your loved one’s needs.