“When a child is addicted to drugs, parents should not be kinder than God,”
– says the head of the NEW LIFE USA Center on saving youth. Despite widespread knowledge of the harms of drugs, a lack of information leads to their underestimation. Parents often believe that their child, raised in a cultured, religious family, could not be affected. Yet, teenagers and young people are highly vulnerable. Sergei Matevosyan, founder of NEW LIFE USA, discusses how to help loved ones.
Various factors can impulsively lead teenagers to drug use, such as their social environment, stress, and the thrill of new experiences. Behavioral changes in teenagers do not necessarily indicate drug use, but should prompt closer attention to avoid future regrets.
There are three categories of addiction—physiological, behavioral, and evidential.
Parents need to observe their child; the presence of three to five physiological or behavioral symptoms, or confirmation of drug use by medical testing, should prompt immediate professional consultation.
Physiological symptoms from drugs, whether synthetic or natural, include euphoria and disrupted metabolism, evident in dilated or constricted pupils, unnatural eye glossiness, unhealthy skin color, slurred speech, coordination issues, eating disorders, frequent dry cough, nausea, diarrhea, and chronic fatigue. Behavioral changes include erratic mood swings, excessive excitement or lethargy, constant search for money, missing household items, slovenly appearance, and suicidal tendencies.
Drug-dependent individuals often have grand plans for the future after detox in clinics, yet real-world challenges may lead them back to drugs. Thus, treatment should also focus on rehabilitation and socialization to prepare for a challenging recovery requiring maximum motivation.
Sergei Matevosyan recalls starting drug addiction treatment in St. Petersburg in the 90s before being invited by American churches to share their ministry across the states. Here, especially in the immigrant community, they saw many children of religious parents using drugs, unbeknownst to their elders. This led to worse scenarios where parents saw the problems, suffered, and hid them due to shame, ultimately leading to overdoses and deaths among the youth.
According to Matevosyan, in 2006 a decision was made to open a rehabilitation center in the U.S. By 2007, the center was established in Missouri and continues to operate there, with the program now expanding in Nevada. Unfortunately, the need for such facilities has not diminished over nearly two decades, but fortunately, they exist and are ready to help those who want to overcome addiction.
Do Not Harm with «Kindness»
Doctors assert that it’s impossible to find a universal approach to reach someone with drug dependency. The psyche of a young person sensitively reacts to threats and, conversely, to parental pleas, which can sour family relationships. It is essential for the individual to voluntarily seek professional help for recovery. Matevosyan emphasizes that it is impossible to help someone who has not made the decision themselves, even if their parents bring them in.
Parents have taught their children to live irresponsibly, being kinder to them than God, covering up their disgraceful behavior, excusing the inexcusable. Often, the addict steals, and yet is still fed, treated, and bailed out of jail, among other things, says the Center’s leader. This turns into a complex issue with parents, especially believing parents, involving making tough decisions to cut off support and stop participating in their slow self-destruction and madness, setting conditions for change or complete cut-off. Another peculiarity is when an addict undergoes a detox treatment in a clinic, where they usually build grand plans for the future, and parents rejoice, thinking their child’s life is getting back on track. However, these dreams often remain just dreams, as treatment in a clinic requires minimal effort, and upon re-entering the real world, the addicted person often faces problems and finds “consolation” in drugs again.
Important – Is Not to Despair
Not only treatment but also rehabilitation and socialization of the addict must be conducted, so it is crucial to prepare from the start for a challenging path to recovery, requiring maximum motivation. Unfortunately, the drug problem is closely approaching not only teenagers: children aged 10-12 are often already familiar with “substances.” Parents must not despair but seek ways to heal their child. According to Matevosyan, they refuse no one help. “We provide consultations, communicate with parents, find out the full range of the child’s problems and start guiding the parents online, advising on the right steps they need to take. We have worked with parents for up to four years.” Unfortunately, the New Life program has age restrictions: “18 plus.”
The sooner the family of a drug-dependent person recognizes the problem, the easier further treatment, rehabilitation, and socialization will be for someone who needs to drastically change their life.
