Parents of Addicted Teens: Acceptance VS Condoning

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Parental Instinct and Using Emotion to Fuel Action

When we find out our child is using or has fallen into the trouble of addiction, our initial reaction may be disgust, resistance, anger, guilt, and stress. Unfortunately, these reactions are not going to help. It is best to channel any emotions into action and refrain from trying to understand cause and effect. Trying to understand the “why” from the get-go can make us miss chances for intervention.

With the knowledge that our child needs help, we must understand the difference between acceptance and condoning the drug or alcohol abuse. Acceptance is recognizing the reality of the situation without attempting to protest it or change it while condoning is allowing behavior that is morally wrong or offensive to continue despite its ramifications.

At Fresh Start of California, we understand the difficult place that a child’s addiction can put a parent in. We know how precarious it is to make the right choices and worry about the wrong ones. Let us help you and your child have a fighting chance against addiction.

Contact the Orange County detox and rehabilitation specialists at Fresh Start of California for addiction recovery options and where to start. Call our team today.

What Does Acceptance Look Like?

Acceptance may look like seeking help, offering ways to avoid use, arranging counseling, or intervention. There are many ways to work with your child to fight against the power of addiction including:

  • Finding motivation for abstaining from the use
  • Finding ways to limit peer pressure in a manner that supports recovery
  • Seeking an understanding of motives for use, such as: is it for fun? For acceptance by peers? Or self-medication for mental or emotional distress?
  • Offer an incentivized challenge for quitting, or for abstaining for a certain period.
  • Set house rules and guidelines with consequences with the knowledge that the user may continue.

Acceptance may look different for every family, but the key is to have an understanding with your teen that you are on their side and that you are going to help them through the path of recovery.

What Does Condoning Look Like?

Condoning the behavior of an addict, even your child, is often the result of a few different factors: a parent ‘s drug or alcohol abuse or addiction, the desire to be friends more than a parent figure, the notion that the home is a safe space for experimentation. Condoning behavior may look like:

  • Using drugs or drinking with your teen
  • Allowing your teen to use or drink at your house
  • Supplying alcohol or drugs to your teen or teen’s friends
  • Raising your child around drug or alcohol use
  • Not being conscious of censoring your drug or alcohol use

It is important to understand the implications of condoning the addictive behavior of a teen user. Our teens deserve a fighting chance at life after recovery.

A Fighting Chance with Fresh Start of California

Our Orange County team of detox and recovery professionals can help you connect with the resources you need to get your child through. Recovery and abstaining from drug or alcohol use may require different commitments of a teen than an adult. Our specialists understand that as a parent, you will need help navigating the rehabilitation process alongside your team. Let the experts at Fresh Start of California help you when the ones you love most are in trouble.

Contact Fresh Start of California in Orange County today.

How Yoga & Exercise Can Help Combat Addiction

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The Mind-Body Connection and Battling Addiction

Much of the struggle with addiction is behavior based on emotional or mental trauma or pain. The connection between the physical behaviors and the workings within the mind is what yoga can help forge. What is yoga? Yoga is a movement and thought connection practice within a philosophy that is 8 limbs based. Each limb, or study, is part of the mind-body connection through breath. This practice, and exercise in general, can be a great tool in recovery. Exercise can be anything from a gym workout to an evening stroll, hiking to surfing. Regular body movement can boost mood, helps regulate the body’s functions, and combats depression.

These practices can deepen focus inward to help uncover thought patterns and negative habits. At Fresh Start of California, we can help you learn a variety of ways to combat addiction. We understand that body movement and emotional work go hand in hand. Let our team be your guide for Orange County rehabilitation and recovery from addiction.

Contact Fresh Start of California today if you are ready to make a change.

How Can Yoga & Exercise Help the Recovery Process?

Joining the body and mind through healthy movement can make keeping tabs on your addiction easier, uncovering, and identifying potential triggers. Mental and emotional health is critical in preventing relapse, recognizing behaviors, and knowing when you need help. Exercise and yoga are beneficial to both.

3 of yoga’s benefits during recovery include:

  1. Reduce stress and anxiety. Yoga uses breathwork and deliberate movement to reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, and calm racing thoughts. It can be used in battling addiction by acting as a self-soothing technique as well as a tool to dig into deeper issues.
  2. Help you sleep. Fall asleep faster and help relax using restorative poses including those that are aimed at increasing blood flow that reduces restless legs.
  3. Better health. Boost your immunity and the functions of your body systems using different yoga poses. From immune health to digestive function, yoga can help keep the body healthy.

3 benefits of exercise in combating addiction:

  1. Provide structure to your day. Exercise can be a reason to get out of the house, to break up the monotony of the day, and to be a commitment that you can keep. Having gym partners or work out buddies can help to give you something to look forward to each day.
  2. Commitment and reward. Regain control of your ability to stick with something that offers positive reinforcement and visible rewards. Keeping commitments to exercise routines can be a huge step in reminding yourself of how much power you have in life and over your actions.
  3. Boost your mood. Exercise increases blood flow and increases feel-good chemicals in the brain. It is proven to help change the mood and mental state in a positive way.

Recover in Mind and Body with Fresh Start of California

Moving forward from addiction can be daunting and overwhelming. It is crucial to find routine in healthy practices like yoga and exercise. These practices, along with guidance from rehabilitation and detox professionals and the support of your peers, can make all the difference. Let the recovery specialists at Fresh Start of California work with you to build a program that works with your specific needs.

Call our Orange County rehabilitation team today.