Nichole78

I am a daughter to a pill addict, a girlfriend to a pill addict (in revocery) a step daughter to an alcoholic (5 yrs sober) a sister to a crack/heroin addict (16 months in recovery) a daugther to a wonderful co dependant mother (also in her own recovery) and a mother to a beautiful 2 year old little boy......I am very co dependant and i guess you could say my drug of choice is food...not a substance but still a problem for me. Im reading co depandant no more, am going to go back to counceling but this is what i need to know. As a mother, i do NOT want this stuff to effect my son and in some ways im sure it will or already has.......what can I do to make sure this effects him in the least way possible??? I know i cant talk to him about drugs hes too young, but being that everyone i am close too is some kind of an addict i do NOT want him growing up thinking this is ok.........how young is too young to start teaching him about this stuff?? I dont want to see my son suffer the way ive seen my brother suffer or his father suffer..........any insight??

Done_With_It

Read, educate yourself, if you are not already get yourself in therapy- get in some kind, read, read, read as much as you can and understand why people and yourself do what you do and make yourself the strongest mother that you can be. You can't change or fix anyone else.
You can only make yourself the healthiest and strongest role model possible.

If it were me that is what I would do.

Beyond that I would get him involved in a lot of activities and things to call his own, sports and things he enjoys doing. I grew up professional barrel racing, was also enrolled in Ta Kwon Do for years, volleyball, basketball, I believe the all of it, all of it the esp. the passion I found in the thing I love and the things taught to me ended up saving my life in various forms.

JMO

:day6




I totally admire you trying to make the best life for him, I thing that is one of the best steps. : ]

Callie

I agree with Done - get yourself the help that you need to be the best mother, most healthiest mother that you can be. I also agree about getting him into activities (at a later age) to build his self esteem and keep it high. Teach him that it's not ok to tolerate bad behavior/treatment from others. My kids are 9 and involved in baseball, soccer, basketball. They are very involved with their friends, I am very involved with their friends, their school, their sports activities etc. Surround him by good people and set a good example yourself by not tolerating what you should not.

You've already taken a huge first step by even asking the question...That's the sign of a good mom right there!

Chino

The recommendation to get him into sports is spot on because he'll find natural ways to stimulate serotonin, epinephrine, dopamine, and endorphins. Those are the neurochemicals that addicts are elevating (including food) because theirs are naturally low. Since it's in your history, it's definitely in your DNA and his, too.

We have a nation wondering why addiction/obesity is so pervasive these days with our youth. I'd like to smack them all upside the head and ask them to examine the numbers, after they removed recess and gym from school.

Done_With_It

Have you heard the ads flooding the radio lately,

You can get our (I think it is FIOS) and your kids won't have to leave their favorite TV show because they can check their Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc without every having to leave the couch, you can enjoy your family time without leaving the couch!

Sorry didn't mean to hijack, this just made me feel like a wild animal I was so mad!

Spiritual Seeker

Work a 12 step program yourself through al-anon or Overeaters Anonymous
OA is not just about weight it addresses physical, emotional and spiritual well-being just like the other recovery programs

Learning how to Live your life the healthiest you can be is the best you can give to your son to break the cycle.

Alanon sure changed me. I wish I had begun when my child was born instead of waiting 'til he was an addict. But I do know better now