Episode 106: How Parents of Addicted Children Can Find Hope and Peace—with Dawn Ward
As parents, we do everything we can to keep our kids safe, happy, and thriving. We make sure they eat their vegetables, buckle their seatbelts, and do their homework. We are committed to taking them to Sunday School each week, teaching them right from wrong, and nurturing them with love every day to help them grow into the best versions of themselves.
So when we discover that our child has fallen into addiction or some other kind of self-destructive behavior, it can feel like a nightmare. We start to wonder, what did I do wrong? In these tricky situations, we often struggle to know how to help our children, and at times, it may even feel like God has abandoned us.
If you have found yourself devastated by your child’s addiction, we want you to know that there is hope!
Our guest, Dawn Ward, is here to share her story of how God brought hope and healing in her journey as a mom. Dawn is an author, speaker, and biblical life coach. She has written a powerful book titled From Guilt to Grace: Hope and Healing for Christian Moms of Addicted Children.
In this episode, Dawn shares:
- How having a child struggle with addiction doesn’t make you a bad parent
- What to do with fear and worry about our children
- Why it’s important to continue to invest in your marriage even during hard parenting seasons
- And much more!
We hope this episode brings hope and encouragement as you continue to love and support your child, even in the face of their self-destructive behavior.
Links:
- [BOOK] From Guilt to Grace: Hope and Healing for Christian Moms of Addicted Children
- Connect with Dawn on her website, Instagram, or Facebook
Our Takeaways:
1) Allow natural consequences to occur. As parents, we want to do everything in our power to protect our children, but sometimes we need to allow our children to experience the consequences of their actions. If they never experience the negative effects of their actions, they may never build up the motivation to want to change. We encourage you to consider with your spouse what age-appropriate consequences you can allow your child to experience. Consider what would happen if you were to sit back and not intervene next time they engage in self-destructive behavior.
2) Rely on God for your happiness (and your child’s). Our child’s happiness should not depend on our actions alone—that is too heavy of a burden for any parent to bear. On the same token, your happiness should not be dependent on the actions of your child. When a child is battling any kind of addiction, it’s natural to feel as if your joy is tied to their choices and struggles. But allowing yourself moments of joy and peace, even amidst the challenges, is not a betrayal of your love for them. In times like this, it’s important to go to our Heavenly Father—we can trust that He is a good Father who always wants the best for His children.
3) Turn to healthy strategies to manage your stress. As parents ourselves, we know that someone merely telling you to “stop worrying” isn’t very helpful. Since your concerns don’t have an “on and off” switch, it’s important to have healthy strategies that will help you handle stress and worry when they come up. That might be going on a walk, spending time in prayer, or seeking the help of a trusted friend, counselor, or therapist. Scripture challenges us in Luke 12:25-31 by asking “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” If we let our worry and stress go unchecked, they will consume our thoughts and impact our health—and none of this anxiety will prevent our kids from experiencing harm. It’s okay to take a deep breath and lay down the burden of your worry, even if just for a moment.
Meet Our Guest
Dawn Ward is an author, speaker, and biblical life coach. She is also the founder of The Faith to Flourish, a ministry that equips women with addictive loved ones to reclaim their lives and flourish in their faith. Dawn and her husband, Steve, have three adult children and live in Las Vegas, Nevada.
