AGONY AUNT: How can I make my daughter come clean?
A::For 25, she has already come through a lot. Marrying young, having kids and then being betrayed when she needed her husband most. Then when she’s at her lowest her new boyfriend leaves. There are plenty of support systems available on the NHS, but she can only start the road to recovery when she herself is ready. It must be very painful to see her going through this as well as putting you all through the mire. Luckily the kids are too young to understand at the moment. Please remember it is not her betraying you but the consequences of taking drugs. When she stays with you, she may be trying to ‘do-over’ her previously omitted teenage rebellion. If she is ready to admit that she has a problem,, there are many paths to follow. Firstly, she could talk to her GP as they have great access and referral systems. If she can’t face that, try FRANK online as they have honest information about substances treatment in every area. There is Livechat, SMS help, email and phone support. FRANK also has information and support for the families of addicts. Dealing with the psychological reasoning behind an addiction is essential. Having been ‘good’ all her life then receiving maltreatment and betrayal in return could be enough to have sent her spiralling out of character. This needs to be addressed once she has become ‘clean’.