Today’s guest blog comes from the Parent Support Group of New Jersey. We know having multiple levels of support is so important for individuals with a substance use disorder. Parents of these individuals also need their own special kind of support. This not-for-profit organization started more than 30 years ago provides that support and also can greatly contribute to preventing a reoccurrence of substance misuse. I commend them for their fine work and encourage all readers to share this blog with parents in need of such support.
____________________________________________________________________
The Mission of the Parent Support Group of NJ
“My daughter has overdosed multiple times now. What if there was no Narcan next time?”
“I constantly worry about my son. His last blood alcohol level was life-threatening.”
These are typical sentiments expressed by parents who come to Parents Support Group of New Jersey as they navigate the complexities of helping their child struggling with a substance use disorder (SUD). There are so many programs out there to help someone with an SUD, but all too often parents cannot find the support they need to deal with this most difficult challenge. When your child is experiencing substance use issues, your own life is turned upside down. This is a family disease, and it loves chaos. Parents used to helping their children with so many of life’s challenges often find they must learn a whole new approach when addiction enters the family.
Pleading, shouting, and policing, in our experience, don’t work. So, what can you do to get your loved one to seek help and begin the long, difficult road to recovery, and how do you cope with all the pain, anxiety, and frustration this situation creates? Here is our answer: Come to a Parent Support Group meeting and learn what tactics other parents have used when facing the same challenge. Parenting a child with substance use issues goes against your every instinct as a parent. Here is an actual quote from one of our participating parents:
"The Parent Support Group of NJ (PSG) has been a lifeline for me! Trying to cope with my adult son’s alcohol use disorder left me feeling hopeless. My bewilderment and sadness about his choices and behaviors, and my efforts to figure out coping strategies, had left me exhausted and stressed. I could see the impact on my mental and emotional state and my daily struggle to function normally. I was isolating myself and worrying about his issues, which, admittedly, I could not control. The PSG provided fellowship with compassionate, knowledgeable people who had “been there, done that”. Their perspectives, reflecting many years of dealing with their adult children with substance use disorders, were enormously helpful in sorting out how to manage specific challenges with my son and how to regain a more normal life for myself. Their informed, compassionate feedback on how to better manage my struggles with my son’s disease has been essential to my own continuing recovery as a parent. It has also enabled me to support my son in his recovery efforts without trying to oversee or manage that process. I am very grateful to the PSG!"
Parents Support Group of New Jersey offers peer support parent to parent. We don’t tell you what to do, but we do share what we have tried (and, believe us, we have tried everything), and we can tell you what seems to work and what hasn’t for us. We also provide a supportive, non-judgmental environment for you as you face one of the hardest parenting challenges there is. You might even find yourself smiling again, getting a better night’s sleep, and re-engaging with your own life.
Parent Support Group has meetings on most weeknights. All meetings are free, anonymous, and confidential. Some are in person, others are online, using zoom. You can choose the night and the medium that works best for your needs. And if you need support when there isn’t a meeting, many of our facilitators and regular attendees are generous with their phone numbers and their time.
For further information see our website:
https://www.parentssupportgroupnj.com
Call: (973) 339-9841 email: psgnj1@aol.com
Also find us on Instagram #psgnjinc