Seeking Help When Your Parents Suffer from Addiction

We’ve mentioned on our blog before how important addiction counseling can be when you or someone you know has a dependence on a substance, thing, or even person that creates difficulties in living daily life. Such addictions can inhibit career goals, focus, self-awareness, and relationships. When the person struggling is a parent or caregiver, it can be especially difficult on the rest of the family.

For those in Philadelphia, family counseling at Philly Family Life Counseling can help work through these particular struggles and get your relationship on a path toward healing.

What Happens In the Home When A Parent Struggles With Addiction?

Addiction can cause a parent or caregiver to neglect their spouse, children, and loved ones. Rather than being a stable presence within their family, they can become detached and lack emotional energy.

Meanwhile, if you are the child of a parent struggling with addiction, or if you grew up in a home with addiction, you may be feeling any of the following and more:

• fear of abandonment
• anger
• insecurity about “breaking the cycle”
• depression
• mistrust
• concern for your safety and your parents’ safety

You don’t have to struggle with these feelings alone.

Tackling these feelings may seem like a daunting task, but the first step is to realize that you don’t have to face these issues by yourself. Dr. Gene Devers and Associates at Philly Family Life Counseling are practiced, dedicated, licensed professionals in Northeast Philly who can help you take steps forward in your relationship with your parent struggling with addiction.

Whether you need help determining the best way to approach the issue, or your attempts to work through it before have resulted in disappointment, we can help. We can work with you individually and then, if we agree it would help, begin family counseling. There is indeed hope for recovery. Recovery from addiction and the recovery of broken relationships.

If you believe that your parent is an addict and are looking for personal or family counseling, you can schedule an appointment with us by calling 215/677-3810 or requesting an appointment online. Philly Family Life Counseling is a place where you will be listened to, respected, and nurtured in your personal growth goals, don’t hesitate to reach out.