3 Steps You Can Take To Lower A Child's Risk Of Becoming Addicted Later In Life
When you have an addiction, you know how hard the struggle with it can be. Even when you are in recovery, the daily struggle to stay sober can feel like an uphill battle that never ends.
There are many reasons why someone can become addicted to substances. Maybe it is because of genetics. Or perhaps the hardships of life have become too hard to deal with. So, instead of finding healthy ways to cope, someone will turn to alcohol or drugs to ease their distress.
Knowing everything you do about your addiction, you wonder how you can protect your child or other adolescent from the same heartache. It isn't comfortable to talk about addiction with children. After all, you don't even want them to know about the word or what they could become addicted to. But, if you have close children who are a little older, they more than likely know what is happening.
While it is not easy to talk to kids or teens about addiction, it is essential and can help them not become addicted later in life. Even if you do not have an addiction, you can still help reduce the risk of addiction in children. Here are three steps you can take to lower a child's risk of addiction later in life.
3 Steps To Lower The Risk Of Addiction In Children At Later Stages
Help Them Learn Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy is the skill of trusting in yourself to succeed and knowing how to regulate your emotions and thoughts. It helps build a foundation for getting through life's most challenging times.
Self-efficacy is essential for a child to learn as early in life as possible because it prepares them for times ahead that can test their resiliency or possibly start their path to using substances. You can teach self-efficacy to children by:
Give your kids tasks that give them the experience of learning how to try something, doing it, failing at it, and then trying again until they succeed. It helps them build confidence.
Show them optimism. Don't beDon'tharsh if they fail at something, but encourage them to try again. Let them know it is okay to fail at something and that it doesn't doesn't be perfect.
Don't usDon'teral praise; instead, be very specific. If they did well on a school test, instead of saying, "Good jo”!" you ca” frame it as, "Great j”b. I am proud of you for studying hard and preparing for the test."
Talk T” Them Early About It
As parents, guardians, or family members of children, we want to shield them from as much of the world as we can. We don't wadon't introduce them to anything that could hurt them, after all. However, some topics are too important to ignore.
Talking to children early in life about addiction may not seem like the best idea. And it certainly is not comfortable to do so. But opening the conversation up early can be a great thing.
As you teach them self-efficacy, you can open up the conversation about addiction. If you struggle with it or do, talk to them generally about it. Please encourage them to ask questions or talk about their feelings. You don't hadon't go into all the specifics, but they'll they'llate your honesty.
Begin With Yourself
At Recovery Collective, we take pride in specializing in addiction counseling, offering a comprehensive range of services designed to support individuals on their journey to recovery. Our integrative holistic therapy (Acu-talk ) approach features a unique collaboration between two expert practitioners—a licensed therapist and a skilled acupuncturist. This evidence-based, whole-person treatment blends mindfulness practices, emotional healing techniques, and personalized care to tackle the root causes of addiction—not just its symptoms.
Whether you're scouring from substance use or looking for effective tools to regain control of your life, our compassionate and experienced team is here to guide you. Please don’t hesitate to contact us today to schedule a consultation or an appointment and take the first step toward lasting recovery, enhanced well-being, and a healthier, more fulfilling future.