For Parents
Parents and Guardians, welcome. We know that raising and supporting kids through their teen years and young adulthood is no easy feat. Adolescence is a time of great change not just for your child, but often your relationship with them. They are finding their independence, discovering who they are, making mistakes and dealing with new challenges. Parents face the challenge of giving their adolescent and young adult children space to grow and change while also watching out for their best interests and wellbeing. It can be hard to know when to act and when to step back, how to determine whether moodiness is just moodiness stress is just stress, heartache is just heartache, a beer is just a beer, or if something more serious is going on.
Did You Know?
If you are the family member of a minor or an adult who is spiraling out of control or reckless with substance abuse, an immediate risk of serious harm to themselves or others because of their substance abuse, is resistant to getting/staying in treatment, you still have an option to help them. There is a process called a Section 35 in which a parent, guardian, doctor, court official or police officer can file with a court to involuntarily commit your loved one to an inpatient facility for substance abuse treatment for up to 90 days.
This means that they cannot check themselves out, only the medical professionals can discharge them. Sometimes the "threat" of involuntarily commitment may motivate an individual to seek help on their own. Take note that commitment isn't always guaranteed, but you may file a petition for Section 35 more than
once. Click here for more information.
The hard truth is that mental illnesses and addiction are serious problems that many young people are facing, and sometimes they don't even know it themselves. Whether you have come to this page because you want to know what to look for to determine if there is a problem, suspect something might be happening with your child but don't know how to approach it, or know that your child is experiencing depression, anxiety, suicidality, or substance abuse and need resources, you've come to the right place. Here you can learn about warning signs of common mental illnesses, suicidality, and addiction. Also included are a variety of options for treatments as well as courses of action you can take if you have an adult child who is in trouble and resisting help. Sometimes a loved one may approach you with concerns about themselves, here are some tips on how and how not to respond if that happens. You are not alone in this.