I personally haven’t had the experience to parent an adult child in recovery, but I know many people who have including my own parents. I decided to ask my mother her opinion on what it was like having a child in active addiction, as well as an adult child i n recovery. My mom said the most important thing for her was to never give up.
She shared she always believed that I would overcome my addiction. She said she held on to this belief and finally what she had hoped for came true. A parent’s job is always to give unconditional love and be a source of strength. However, it is also a parent’s job to let go.
This might be especially difficult in so far as the parent likely had been actively parenting their adult child through their active addiction as they are most likely constantly worry about their health and safety. Once the child begins on their journey in recovery, the parent may continue to worry. It is however important to let them take the reins of their future and have supportive family members. It is beneficial to have their milestones be acknowledged.
The family will learn to be whole again and this means celebrating the good times they share together. There are of course instances where life shows up and situations get challenging. Trusting in the process, that the recovering person will now be able to be a fully functioning adult. In my experience I feel very loved and cared for knowing that my parents never gave up on me.
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