This Is Not A U.F.C. Match – This is About Your Kids
When I talk with younger people who went through the substance misuse progression many of these kids say:
“No one said anything to me”… “it wasn’t talked about in school”. “It wasn’t talked about anywhere”.
I’m not sure what the official protocol on prevention is these days.
I do know that youth drug use isn’t escalating.
It’s not that more kids than ever are using.
It’s that the ones who are using are using “Frankenstein Killer” substances.
So maybe prevention is working in the sense of overall use. It’s probably not a prevention issue.
It’s a “how do you talk to an impulsive and invincible 18 year old who’s already experimented with stuff”…issue.
I don’t think we know how to talk about the issue of substance misuse in a reasonable manner.
MORE HARM THAN GOOD
Some of us probably do a better job than others. And there a lot of “experts” out there who will tell you exactly how to do it.
Say this…don’t say that… etc…. give them a minute and some of them will make you feel like a shitty parent because you are an enabler and just won’t take action and kick the bum out.
But we know the research is clear.
Tough love does more harm than good.
You may need to set boundaries and you may need to work on changing some behaviors on your end.
I AM A PARENT TO
I don’t know how you should “do it” and I would never be so puffed up as to give a set of instructors.
I can tell you what not to do…. and I can give general guidelines.
And I can support you through the fear.
Not because I am the world’s greatest therapist (actually I am currently ranked number 3 worldwide by Therapist Illustrated).
No I can support through the fear because I’m a scared parent too….
TRIPLE P’s
I can’t deal with the perfect parent posers…
I call them the “triple P’s”.
I know one thing. None of the potential solutions have anything to do with being “tough”.
It’s parenting, not a UFC match.
And beware of people in the addiction treatment field who are quick to push a trip to rehab; when all you really wanted was some info..
