Parenting is a difficult role to play at any time, but it can be especially difficult and troubling when the parent is also struggling with addiction recovery. For a parent who is trying to raise their child in a mindful way, this can be an even stronger challenge, as the parent must balance their child’s needs and mindful parenting techniques with their own personal needs in recovery to maintain their sobriety and avoid relapse. But it’s not impossible. Mindful parenting in recovery is possible with the right focus.
Mindful parenting is about being in the moment, staying grounded with your child within the present. The parent seeks to eliminate distractions and stay engaged with the child no matter what responsibilities or problems may arise. This can create a healthy connection between parent and child for a lasting, vital relationship.
But for a parent who previously struggled with addiction, fighting through substance abuse to reach an early stage of recovery, being mindful can be difficult, particularly with a young child. Resisting cravings, maintaining treatment and preserving your sobriety can feel like a full-time task without caring for a child or children on top of it all, which can make working on mindfulness seem even more difficult, too.
But it is possible, with the right mindset and care. The mindful parent, in fact, can practice mindful parenting by doing many of the same things that help maintain a healthy recovery.
Self-control and regulation, for instance, are both essential in mindful parenting and recovery. By practicing both, the patient not only works to keep their recovery on pace, but also models such behaviors for their children as the essence of mindfulness.
Dealing with stress is another important part of both disciplines. Especially if your child has seen you using drugs in the past, or knows of your drug use, your previous use of drugs to handle stress is a dangerous signal. By showing healthier way of coping with stress, you can again model better behaviors for them that also help with your recovery.
For a parent with addiction struggles, the most worrisome part may be the knowledge that addiction can have a genetic predilection, traveling through families, which means your own struggles with substance abuse can foreshadow your child’s potential struggles down the line.
But by practicing mindfulness as a parent, emphasizing healthy communication and how to handle triggers, you can work to break such a generational curse, putting a focus on your recovery while ensuring you remain a mindful parent throughout.
At Good Landing Recovery, mindfulness is one of many tools that can help with recovery, and with your parenting. Treatment and therapy can help you with both – with proper instruction and preparation.
Parenting and recovery are both hard, and can be harder when combined. But they don’t have to be.
Don’t let your addiction recovery weaken your parenting, or vice versa. By practicing mindful parenting in recovery, reinforce both to be better at each, with help from Good Landing. Give them a call to start today.