The healing bond : parental support as a major factor in treating adolescent drug addiction

Abstract

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in the role of the family in the treatment of drug addiction. The involvement of the family, especially parents, and a deep consideration of the adolescent's individual needs are the pre-requisites leading to the addict's 'rebirth'. This study focuses attention on parental involvement as a major factor in treating adolescent drug addiction. By drug addict, it is intended an individual who often abuses on his own initiative any drug in such a way that both his personal well being and/or social functioning is somehow impaired. This study aims at highlighting that drug addiction may be better understood and more effectively treated when the adolescent addict is viewed in the context of his family. To this end, a selective literature review explores some available evidence supporting the notion that family involvement, especially parental support, enhances therapeutic effect. Through a series of 11 in-depth interviews with adolescent drug abusers and their respective parents, this study sheds light upon the impact that parental involvement can make in the life of the drug abuser. Often, change is a very long and difficult process and drug abusers need to receive generous love and support from the ones they hold so dear - their parents - if they are to come to terms with their problems. Results show how the relationship between parents and youth can have an effect on the youth's eventual resort to drug abuse and the important role which parents have in the rehabilitation process of their children once the latter have started abusing of drugs.