Talking to Children About Familial Addiction
How to Talk About Addiction
When working with children impacted by familial addiction, give boys and girls enough information – in language they can understand – to validate their experience and provide support, but not too much so they end up confused and overwhelmed. Helping children understand what addiction is, and that it isn’t their fault, can lessen the impact of stigma.
WHEN TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT FAMILIAL ADDICTION:
- The preferred term is addiction or substance use disorder. It can refer to alcohol, other drugs, and tobacco.
- Words, like stuck, hooked, and trapped, help children to understand what addiction is.
- Keep it simple, concrete, and to the point.
- Help children separate the person they love from the disease of addiction.
- Teach children experientially about denial, loss of control (can’t stop), relapse, and treatment and recovery.
- Incorporate the 7 Cs. It helps children understand what they can’t change and what they can.
THE 7 Cs
I didn’t CAUSE it. I can’t CONTROL it. I can’t CURE it. I can take better CARE of myself by COMMUNICATING my feelings, making healthy CHOICES, and CELEBRATING myself.
