The mere mention of the B word can bring up incredible post traumatic stress. Mom, Dad you are the parent of an addict fear of extended absences in bathrooms is normal. It’s truly weird what can trigger the fear associated with having an addict child.
The best thing to tell your addicted child is the following …
I love you
as those three words may be heard and have never enabled an addict.
I have been taught that each of the families in this addiction war can only be shown the “water” and not forced to drink. We all drink at far different speeds. Those of us further along in our recovery can only “pass the water bottle”.
Their topic of discussion was Suboxone and how they were “mis”-managing their doses. Naturally I tuned in to their conversation. The f’ bomb flavored conversation continued on to judges in the local court. Sadly I knew all the judge’s names as my son had been before many of them. The young mens’ morning chat twisted onto the topic of recovery homes and other rehab stops. Again I could vividly remember many of the sober homes etc. as my son had done a few years through the courtroom and rehab circuit.
The Amend steps were designed for the addict’s recovery not as something we should hold over our child’s head.