How can I best help

[Dad64]

I'm not the addict. I am the dad. I've got my adult daughter to agree to detox. We start next week. What advice can you give me about how to approach this? Are there any people or any words, or any approach that have ever helped you or anyone you know?

Dad64

[cinders64]

I am a addict but now clean for 7 days, my daughter is also a addict and continues with her addiction now.  I put a stop to taking pain killers not only for myself but to also encourage my daughter to do the same.  She is starting to think about it but not taking any action yet.  

I think it helps to seperate the addiction from the person, know that her actions may be the result of the addiction, which is a illness, and not her.

As parents we just want the best for our children, no matter how old they are, but sometimes we need to let them make the final decision in their well being even if its not what we want them to do.  It is great she has agreed to detox, I don't think there is any one particular thing that will help.  Just support her and love her no matter what.

Cindy

[theaddict]

if you don't want to share that information, here are a few tips for you.

hot baths/showers:  always helps with the flu like symptoms she's going to go through for the first week or so when she detoxes.

LOTS of fluids:  have her drink a LOT of fluids. because she is going to go through flu like symptoms when she goes through the detoxing aspect of all of this, she needs to keep down a lot of fluids.

RICE:  not many people mention this on the forums, but she's going to be in and out of the bathroom, if you know what i mean. because of this, and a lack for wanting to eat anything - have her make white plain rice and have her take a few bites every now and then throughout the day, that way everything is solid...for lack of better words. it does help.

bananas:  try your best to keep bananas around for her. she is going to feel like her skin is crawling, and with that comes RLS [restless leg syndrome] and the potassium in bananas really help with that.

support:  it sounds like she has a lot of it already, and again, my hat goes off to you for that. supporting someone, even though they are going through something their mother/father hoped they would never see them go through, is one of the biggest keys to someone's detoxing from the pills/drugs.

fresh air:  every now and then, this becomes a life saver.

there's so much more. i know there are a lot of members that will see this post and comment as well. but if she has the time, maybe she could sign up for this site. i know that this forum, and posting on here with other members, really helped a lot of the members here through this whole thing. i know it did me. and i am 412 days sober today.

best of luck to you, and cannot wait to hear about your daughter's progress in all of this. she is one lucky girl to have such a HUGE support system behind her right now. just let her know that we are all here for her as well.

[theaddict]

i think i love you already. my father was there with me through the entire thing as well. over the phone, online, skype....you name it. even flew in to be with me for a few days. kudos to you for helping out your little girl.

do you mind if we ask what she is taking currently. how much? and how long has she been doing the pills? that way we can easier tell you which may be in your best interest.