Single Mothers and Addiction: Problem Nobody Talks About

Singles mothers are those warriors who are more at risk than their counterparts. No one talks about the challenges a mother faces when raising a child alone. From providing life’s necessities to offering the best parent-child experience to the kid, she deals with more than a lot. This makes it necessary for her to obtain social and emotional guidance through every phase of her life. Why? Simply because meeting all the basic requirements of the home and child is overwhelming. This makes her seek other relief strategies too.

The drug is one of those relief strategies single moms find easy to get. But, they ultimately get trapped in that vicious circle that forces them to seek out help through drug and alcohol treatment programs. And before we even realize, this act opens up a whole new world of problems in their life.

Income Challenges

Be it at work or home, single women face dominance at some place or other despite the so much liberty given to them, unlike the old times. Adding to this, all the substance abuse programs and other co-occurring health treatments cost them a fortune. Also, when they are at rehab, they can’t attend office, to which their employer denies an extended period of time off. This ultimately pushes them towards a state of poverty.

Issues of Child Care

Handling house chores, going for work, and raising a child, there is an array of jobs single moms have to do alone. While she is undergoing addiction recovery, it is next to impossible to fully attend to a kid who seeks 24/7 supervision and care. Therefore, many rehabilitation centers or programs provide childcare services for their offspring. They intend to take that chip off their shoulders, which often slows down their recovery process.

Emotional Challenge

Parenting is hard but single parenting is harder. Especially when the single parent is a mother. Several emotional issues are tied to her singleness, be it a messy divorce, the death of her mate, inner struggles, or guilt over a past relationship. And adding to this emotional drain, the experience while going through rehab fails her as a good mother. She eventually ends up sacrificing her and her children’s emotional needs.

Risk of Losing Custody

Addiction makes them appear as an incompatible mother. Therefore, they are more reluctant than willing to seek out treatment for addiction. They fear losing the custody of their child, their only family. This fear is very real and can’t or, in fact, should not be neglected. In such a case, if the treatment takes more than its usual time, the mothers are negatively affected. Therefore, choosing a drug rehab meticulously and ensuring they keep the doctor/patient relationship confidential is a must.

What to Do?

Whether it is the emotional disability or financial insufficiency, a single mother deals with a life wrapped in problems. She tries to calm her mind with drugs and alcohol. But before she even realizes it, she turns her substance use into substance abuse, which calls for professional intervention.

Several treatment programs consider their challenges and include childcare programs too. It works well with moms who spend most of their time worrying about the upbringing of their children. However, in case, she is unable to find one such treatment program, there are outpatient programs that allow them to attend work and recovery simultaneously. Some of these options are available at a lower cost or for free as well, so, she can meet her financial obligations better.

Like raising a child alone was not traumatic enough, many moms struggle to find the best treatment for addiction. While all of this can be overwhelming, there are ways they can overcome their miseries without the risk of losing their family. Hence, let’s start by asking for help, seeking out a mentor, and never taking eyes off the end prize.