Battling addiction is complicated and strenuous. It takes a lot of mental will power to get help and to stay on track with recovery—and requires support. When it comes to single motherhood and addiction, it’s an extremely complex and sensitive situation. These mothers with an addiction often find themselves at the crossroads between themselves or their addiction. Addiction is difficult for everyone, but it can be especially hard for those who must raise and provide for a child all on their own. Our rehab center in Los Angeles offers outpatient services for single parents, that can make a delicate, difficult balancing act just a little bit easier.
Single Parents and Addiction
Addiction can affect anyone regardless of their social responsibility, upbringing, or anything else. It can be brought on genetically or environmentally, as it doesn’t discriminate on who it targets. Some mothers that had an addiction before their children were born may find themselves turning to the substance they stopped using, to be able to raise their child when they’re overcome with negative feelings and burdening issues of raising a child alone. By that same token, underlying traumas, never addressed, could cause others to fall into addiction. Some folks feel overwhelmed with all of the responsibilities of parenthood, working a job, and everything else. Addiction just exacerbates this. Addiction harms not just the addict, but everyone in their life. Some mothers could enter an all-consuming relationship with the relationship that leaves her with little time or emotional capacity for herself and her children. Over the years, our treatment center has helped so many single parents to overcome their trauma and live a happy, healthy and sober life. Through this, they can be there for their children. Additionally, they can be there for themselves, too.
Outpatient vs. Residential Care
“Outpatient care” is exactly what it sounds like: you won’t have to spend all day inside the facility. Instead, you’ll stop by for treatment at one point or another. Instead of being there all day and all night, you’ll come and go, on a set schedule, so that you can get the care and treatment that you need. This has been a popular choice with our single parents for so many reasons. For example, it may be difficult or cost-prohibitive to get someone to watch over your kids all day and night long. Daycare is expensive, and even finding a babysitter that you trust for that length of time can be difficult. However, with outpatient care, you aren’t gone all of the time. So, you can be there for your children. Perhaps you may need to have a sitter at some points, but it’s not nearly the same as the round-the-clock treatment.
Everything in the above paragraph about taking time for your kids also goes for working a job. So many of our patients, once they’ve gone through the detox and other forms of care at Iris, are excited about rejoining the workforce. Going to work, re-starting (or starting) a career, can be an exciting, empowering experience. Outpatient care allows our clients to better take advantage of opportunities at work, school, and anything else. Those are some of the building blocks of an ultimately healthy, happy and sober life. Outpatient care allows our clients to take yet another step forward.
Risks With Not Getting Treatment
A DIY approach to recovery may feel like the only option for some single parents due to a whole host of reasons. Finances, limited childcare, and fear of family backlash and so much else – the list of reasons to “not go to rehab” can feel endless, particularly if someone is caught in the throes of addiction. However, recovering alone can be dangerous and may lead to a relapse. For instance, going cold turkey without any supervision can be fatal depending on the substance that is abused. In a recovery program, our patients will safely detox with the assistance of medical professionals and 24-hour care. Additionally, once a medical evaluation is done, a psychiatric evaluation will also be performed to determine the patient’s mental state and will pin-point mental illnesses, like anxiety and depression, that may be exacerbated by the addiction.
Every addiction is different. What drives a single parent to addiction may be completely different than what causes a teen to become addicted, or a single business person, or anyone else. Regardless of what has caused the addiction, Iris Healing Retreat can be put together an individualized plan that can address it. For many of our single parents, for example, outpatient treatment is the way to go. It makes it possible to keep one foot in society all while receiving the help of our trained staff. No matter what brought you to Iris, we’re ready to help so that you leave with the kind of life skills that can enable you to uphold your responsibilities and so much more.
For more information on rehab center in Los Angeles for single mothers, call (844) 663-4747.