When your child is using again, it doesn’t just break your heart. It confuses it. Exhausts it. Makes you question every decision, every memory, and every instinct you thought you could trust.
In our Family Support Program at Lion Heart, we sit with parents—every week—who are facing this exact moment. Some feel ashamed they let their child move back in. Others feel guilty for setting hard boundaries. Some are angry. Some are numb. All of them still love their child. And all of them are desperate to do something right.
Here are five of the most common (and hardest) questions we help parents walk through—without shame, blame, or easy answers.
“How do I know if I’m helping or enabling?”
The fear here is devastating: Am I making things worse by trying to help?
Helping tends to support accountability and forward movement. Enabling, on the other hand, often removes consequences in ways that unintentionally allow harmful patterns to continue. But the line between the two? It’s not always obvious when your heart is involved.
- Paying their phone bill might be enabling—or it might be what allows them to stay in touch with a sponsor.
- Letting them stay for a few nights could be helping—or it might be delaying a much-needed shift.
That’s why we never give one-size-fits-all answers. In our Family Support sessions, we help you assess decisions with clearer eyes—not colder ones. We ask: What’s the impact? What’s the pattern? What’s sustainable for you?
And above all, we remind you: loving your child isn’t the problem. It’s part of the solution. You’re not “enabling” just because you care.
“Should I let them live at home if they’re using again?”
You might feel like you have two impossible choices: let them stay and risk chaos—or kick them out and risk something worse.
What we explore with families is how to build boundaries that are firm but compassionate. That could mean:
- Requiring treatment engagement as a condition for staying
- Establishing house rules about substance use and consequences
- Giving a timeline with clear expectations and supports
Some families decide they can’t continue housing their child while they’re actively using. Others make space under structured conditions. Neither is right or wrong.
You don’t have to “tough love” your way through this. But you do deserve a home that feels safe—for you. We help you find that balance, one decision at a time.
“Why do I feel so angry all the time?”
Because you’ve been holding your breath for months—or years.
Anger is a normal, healthy emotional response to chaos and repeated heartbreak. In our work with families, we often say: Anger is grief with nowhere to go.
You’re angry because:
- You’ve been lied to or manipulated
- You’ve given your best, and it hasn’t been enough
- You’re terrified and exhausted, but still on call 24/7
You’re not a bad parent. You’re a human being trying to protect someone who keeps walking into danger.
In Family Support, we talk about how to honor that anger—not to lash out, but to use it as a guide. What is your anger telling you needs to change? What boundary is begging to be drawn?
“What if they don’t want help?”
This is perhaps the most powerless feeling of all.
It’s true: you can’t make someone get sober. But you can change the system around them. You can:
- Stop bailing them out of consequences
- Shift from arguing to holding clear boundaries
- Focus on your own wellness so you’re not negotiating from depletion
Sometimes, the biggest change in a loved one’s trajectory comes not when they hit a so-called “rock bottom,” but when the family steps out of the pattern that’s been holding everything together.
At Lion Heart, we don’t promise that your change will force their change. But we’ve seen it open doors. And we know this: your peace matters, even if they’re not ready yet.
“What does support for me even look like?”
Most parents of someone struggling with addiction are in a near-constant trauma response. Fight, flight, freeze, repeat. That’s not a personal failure—it’s biology reacting to chronic crisis.
Support for you might look like:
- Attending a weekly family group with others who truly get it
- Seeing a therapist for yourself
- Setting boundaries without guilt
- Sleeping a full night without staying up waiting for a text
In our Family Support Program, we don’t just talk about your child. We talk about you. Your nervous system. Your grief. Your healing.
Because you’re not just a bystander. You’re a person who’s been surviving someone else’s struggle—and you deserve care too.
Why Our Family Support Program Works
Our sessions aren’t about judgment. They’re about relief. About naming what’s really going on. About offering tools that work in real homes, not just in theory.
We work with you to:
- Set and hold healthy, trauma-informed boundaries
- Understand the addiction recovery process
- Shift from reactive cycles to conscious choices
- Heal from codependency, burnout, and grief
Whether your child is in treatment, refusing help, or bouncing between both—you can still take your next step.
FAQ: Family Support Program at Lion Heart
What’s the format of the Family Support Program?
Our Family Support Program includes weekly sessions (in person or virtual) facilitated by trained clinicians. We use a blend of education, discussion, and skill-building to meet families where they are.
Is this like Al-Anon?
We support the core principles of peer-led groups like Al-Anon—but our program is professionally facilitated and specifically tailored to families with adult children struggling. You’ll receive structured tools, not just open sharing.
Can I attend even if my child isn’t in treatment right now?
Yes. Our program is open to all families—whether your child is actively using, in recovery, or refusing help. Your healing doesn’t have to wait for their readiness.
Do I have to commit long term?
Not at all. We encourage ongoing participation, but there’s no pressure. Even a few sessions can shift how you approach hard conversations, boundaries, and self-care.
How do I get started?
Just call us. We’ll talk through where you’re at, what support you’re looking for, and how we can help.
📞 You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
If any of these questions hit home, you’re not alone—and you’re not out of options. At Lion Heart, we believe families deserve just as much care as the person struggling.
Let’s talk through what support could look like for you.
Call us at (774) 238-5533. We’re here to listen, not lecture.
