If your child is in recovery for substance abuse, first of all – congratulations on making it this far. The hardest part is often getting them to admit that they have a problem and need help, and you’ve managed to navigate finding an appropriate treatment center and seeing your child through the worst of it. Now they’re back home, and you’ve suddenly got a whole new list of concerns. How are they going to deal with the stresses of everyday life? Are they going to fall back in with their old crowd? One question that many parents ask is how to manage prescription medications that their children need to take. The first and most obvious thing is to supervise everything. Be there when the medications are prescribed, ask the doctor as many questions you feel are necessary, keep the medication under your control and dispense it when needed, and keep a close eye on how much is in the bottle.
If your regular family doctor has no knowledge of addiction, you might have to search for someone new. It’s important to find a specialist that understands the way different drugs act, which ones are more likely to be abused, and which ones can be replaced with less addictive options. There are physicians out there who specialize in substance use disorder.
If a different sort of specialist is prescribing medication for your child – such as a dentist or orthopedic doctor – make it clear up front that your child has a substance abuse problem. It might be possible for them to take over the counter pain medications instead of prescription, or the doctor might choose a medication with less potential for abuse. Opioids should be avoided unless absolutely necessary, and then you’ll want to work up a plan with the doctor to stop their use as soon as possible.
If your child has a mental health disorder or ADHD, you might be concerned that the medications used to treat these conditions are addictive. For example, benzodiazepines, which are sometimes prescribed for anxiety, are highly addictive. You might want to talk with your child’s psychiatrist about other, drug-free methods of dealing with their anxiety. ADHD drugs like Adderall and Ritalin are also commonly abused, but you can consider instead using Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs), which are effective and not addictive.
Talk openly with your child about the potential for relapse or abuse of these medications. If they’ve just finished treatment, odds are that they’ve gotten pretty used to having honest discussions. Be clear that these medications are addictive and that’s why you’re going to supervise their use. Encourage them to share with you any symptoms that might suggest they’re becoming dependent.
If you or a loved one need help with quitting drugs or alcohol, consider Asana Recovery. We offer medical detox, along with both residential and outpatient programs, and you’ll be supervised by a highly trained staff of medical professionals, counselors, and therapists. Call us any time at (949) 438-4504 to get started.
