When parents try to figure out how to help an addicted child, they’ll sometimes try what we know as tough love. This means they’re going to detach from their child hoping to create a shock significant enough that they’ll seek help. Although this is usually the last resource for many families, it leaves addicts lost and at risk of breaking down. So, what do you do if you get kicked out of the house for drugs? Keep reading for some alternatives and how to find the help you need.
See If You Can Stay with Family or Friends
Your first option will be to reach out to any extended family members or friends you think will help you. Hopefully, you’ll find someone who will let you stay with them until you figure out what to do. Even if your extended family members say no at first, reach out to them nonetheless. They might be able to support you in different ways, like providing you transportation, having you for dinner, and other things.
Keep in mind, though, your friends or family members will likely have some restrictions. This is common if they know about your substance abuse problem. They might set conditions to your stays with them, such as no more drugs, curfews, and no addict friends coming to the house. So, make sure you’re clear about their boundaries before you choose to stay with them. The last thing you want is to get kicked out of another house.
Consider Contacting the Police
It might be scary, but contacting the police if you get kicked out of the house can be quite helpful. In some states, the police will help you get treatment for your drug abuse problem without facing charges. Some states have the saying that it is better to attack addiction through treatment than incarceration, and many of those states have proven that it works.
However, keep in mind this isn’t always the case, and you could just end up facing legal consequences for your actions. Nonetheless, police departments can help you one way or another. It might feel like the last resource; if you’re under-aged, you might face going into the foster system. But, odds are they will help you enlist in some form of addiction treatment program to help you step away from the streets and start your recovery journey.
Try to Seek Treatment
Maybe you take this shocking event as the stepping stone to seek treatment. Many addiction treatment centers will offer financing options or scholarships to help people seek treatment. If this isn’t possible, ask about sober living homes or halfway houses that offer recovering addicts a place to stay while they navigate treatment.
Seeking inpatient treatment not only solves your housing problem, but it also helps you start working towards treating your addiction and any co-occurring mental health disorder. Believe it or not, many addicts only realize they need treatment after they get kicked out of the house.
Stay Positive
There’s no doubt that getting kicked out of your house for drugs is a stressful, heartbreaking, and scary situation. However, you must keep a positive outlook if you want to survive. Letting yourself fall for the stress and depression of this situation can lead you to do more drugs and start a binge episode resulting in a fatal overdose.
If you or someone you know has been kicked out of their house for drugs, please seek help. There are countless organizations out there that can offer you a helping hand. At Lighthouse Recovery Institute, we can help you navigate the ins and outs of addiction treatment to help you find the right one for you. Stay positive and strengthen your physical and mental health to get your feet back on the ground and start working towards your recovery. We believe in you and are here to support you.
