It is tough to watch a loved one go through heroin addiction and try to parent at the same time. Heroin is a dangerous drug that causes severe emotional and physical side effects. This drug alters your perception and what is reality as a parent. Heroin addicted parents often abuse, neglect or put their children in harm’s way. For these reasons, addiction interventions are staged to help get your loved one off the drug.

It is very dangerous to go through withdrawals without any medical help. Common withdrawal symptoms include intense cravings for the drug, insomnia, muscle and bone pain and vomiting. These problems are why it is best to check into a rehabilitation center when going through detox.

A heroin addicted household is very toxic for children. Read on to find out how to rescue a child from heroin addicted parents.

The Other Side Of Heroin Addiction

Recently, a picture circulated around the Internet of two adults passed out with a four-year-old boy still fastened in his car seat. The couple overdosed on heroin and passed out in front of their grandchild. East Liverpool police posted the picture for shock value. They wanted the public to see the other side of heroin addiction.

Most children do not have a voice and must tolerate the addiction along with their parents. They see their parents inject the drug with needles. Drug addicts tend to get careless and use dirty needles. For these reasons, organizations have set up a needle exchange so addicts can get clean needles for free.

The Liverpool police knew the child could not speak himself and was hoping this story speaks for other children in the same situation. They were also hoping that other parents would think twice about injecting this poison in their veins.

At the time of this incident, the four-year-old was in the custody of his grandmother. He was taken into protective custody, but now in the custody of his great aunt and uncle.

Get The Child In A Safe Home Environment

If you know a child in a drug addicted home, then you must get him or her in a safe environment. You should report the abuse to child protected services or the police. These organizations will determine if the report warrants an investigation. If so, CPS and the police will work together and run separate investigations.

Protective Custody

If a child is in danger, then the police may choose to put him or her in protective custody. Custody of the child is then transferred to child protective custody. CPS can decide on whether to place the child in foster care or with a relative. Parents have an opportunity to get their child back by going through treatment and living a stable lifestyle.

Stage An Intervention

You must stage an intervention to get your loved one help for his or her heroin addiction. This meeting allows you to organize a group of people who care about the person addicted to drugs. You must tell your loved one to accept help and become a better parent.

If the person agrees to help, then he or she is taken to a facility to go through detox. In drug treatment, you are assigned to a counselor. Your counselor develops a treatment plan with you, which may include 12-step meetings, outpatient treatment, group meetings and one on one counseling. Overcoming heroin is not an easy task. It can take years to regain a stable life.

Coping With Drug Cravings

You are going to still have drug cravings after getting clean. It is important to find a way to cope. One option is to get a distracting activity. A distracting activity is as simple as reading, hanging out with a friend, exercising, playing golf or volunteering. If you get interested in something else, then you will eventually stop having cravings.

It also helps to have an accountability partner, which is why you need to participate in meetings. Meetings allow you to meet other people who are at different levels of treatment. You can use these meetings to find a mentor and accountability partner.

Heroin addicts who stay clean for a year or longer follows a certain lifestyle. They have sober friends, designates a home group, actively works with a sponsor and meditate regularly. You can rescue a child exposed to drug addiction by getting them out of the home. After getting the child safe, you can work on getting the drug addicted parent help.