Parenting Through Recovery: How to Support Your Child’s Healing Journey
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Parents diagnosed with mental health disorders may feel guilt associated with not being able to support their kids to the highest potential. Parenting through recovery can be a challenging journey. Being a parent can also mean supporting a human being’s journey through thick and thin.
A lot of times, one’s kids may also become motivating factors to overcome a mental health disorder. Family care becomes a crucial part of the treatment plan. Parenting through recovery can involve navigating one’s child’s healing journey along with one’s own self-care journey.
Understanding the Impact of Recovery on Children
Children of different age groups might respond differently to their parents’ recovery journey. For example, while toddlers may not fully understand what is happening, pre-teens and teens can be influenced by the home environment.
How a Parent’s Recovery Affects a Child Emotionally
Some common emotional experiences that a child may have as they see their primary caregiver embarking on the recovery journey can include:
- Sadness due to missing the parent-child time spent together
- Fear of what might lie ahead for them
- Anger because of the changes in home environment and family dynamics
- Proud as the child sees their parent making efforts to bring positive changes
Recognizing Behavioral and Emotional Changes
The signs of behavioral changes and emotional mood swings should be identified earlier to have honest and open communication with the children. Helping children through recovery can also involve being aware of their diverse responses and being prepared to support them.
Why Open Communication Matters
Here are some of the reasons why open communication can become crucial in parenting through recovery:
- Trust building
- Resolving queries
- Ensuring child safety
- Making the child aware
- Assuring the child
Creating a Healing Environment for Your Child
Children can often become the loudest cheerleaders for their parents on the recovery journey. A healing environment for children can allow them to feel safe, secure and heard.
Encourage Emotional Expression
Emotional expression can be encouraged using diverse ways based on parent-child preferences such as:
- Writing about feelings
- Exchanging letters
- Having honest conversations
- Art as a medium of expression
- Dancing to express self
- Music, poetry and drama
Foster Connection Through Shared Activities
Family care can be boosted through quality family time. This can become possible with the help of some shared activities such as:
- Pottery
- Drawing
- Dancing
- Reading
- Watching movies
- Gardening
Keep Communication Open and Honest
The child may have a lot of questions and the conversations can often be very sensitive. It is important that the child’s concerns get resolved in an honest way from a reliable source.
Teaching Resilience and Emotional Awareness
Resilience is often understood as the ability to overcome challenging instances. You can teach resilience through not just words but by your actions of not giving up and trying your best.
Model Healthy Coping Mechanisms
Some healthy coping mechanisms can include:
- Physical exercise
- Meditation and yoga
- Support groups
- Singing and dancing
- Playing scrabble, jigsaw puzzle
Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection
Parenting through recovery can be tough and you deserve to celebrate every milestone along the way. If a child who was earlier not speaking with the parents and just talks one fine day, even that can be celebrated.
When to Seek Professional Help
Both parent's and child’s healing journey can benefit from professional help. Some of the instances in which one may want to explore a mental health professional’s support can include:
- Violence at home
- Tendency to harm self
- Impulsive actions
- Emotion dysregulation
Signs Your Child May Need Support
While the child may not be able to verbalise it, the child’s healing journey can often require professional support from a child psychologist. Some signs that help beyond family care is needed can include:
- Feeling numbness or extreme emotions
- Child not engaging with parents
- Extreme rebellious behaviour
- Sudden disinterest in academics
- Increased absenteeism from school
Benefits of Professional Guidance
Parenting through recovery can involve being a part of family counselling sessions. The benefits of a family counselling session can be:
- Improved communication within the family
- Family dynamics can change for the better
- Misunderstandings can be cleared
Supporting Yourself as a Parent in Recovery
As a parent who is coping with mental health issues such as substance use disorder, drug addiction, etc, one needs to support themselves as well. This support is not a luxury but a necessity.
Self-Care Is Not Selfish
Taking out time for self-care activities can be like a fuel for feeling rejuvenated. This can also boost the child’s healing journey as the parent is feeling more energised.
Build Your Own Support System
Here are some ways to build a healthy support system:
- Join support groups
- Collaborate with NGOs
- Develop healthy bonds with friends
- Nurture current relationships
Practice Self-Compassion
Practising self-compassion is crucial to ensure in this recovery journey one does not feel burnout. Self-compassion can look:
- Being kind to self
- Forgiving self
- Celebrating small wins
- Acknowledging one’s concerns
- Being honest with oneself
Long-Term Healing and Family Growth
The intention is to create a healthy and happy future for oneself and the entire family. Family healing after addiction can include steps to maintain that wellness. Those steps can require effort and patience from the family members.
Rebuilding Family Identity
Parenting through recovery can help one gradually rebuild the identity of the family. The new identity of the family may be built on different learnings, resilience and strength.
Encouraging Mutual Understanding
Mutual understanding between parents and children can be encouraged through the following ways:
- Honest conversations
- Quality time together
- Family counselling sessions
- Empathising with each other
- Giving space to one another
Conclusion
Seek family counselling sessions with mental health experts at Athena Behavioral Health. Our team comprises psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and counselling psychologists along with mental health practitioners with expertise in multiple areas. We make every possible effort to support your child’s healing journey as well as your family healing after recovery through regular follow-up sessions.
You are one call away from learning about our services and making parenting through recovery easier. You can connect with us at +91-9289086193.
Support your child’s emotional healing with empathy and guidance. Parenting Through Recovery helps you reconnect, rebuild trust, and grow stronger together.
