EP 102: When Parents Disagree: How to Support an Addict Without Destroying Your Relationship

NEW Announcement: Australian Family Support Listeners Get 30% off every one-to-one support session with Paul King & Wendy Brewer. Finally get the care & help you need to navigate a loved one's addiction. familyhopesupport.com (Australia Only)

Is your relationship breaking under the weight of your child’s addiction? Discover how to stay united when everything is pulling you apart.

Addiction doesn’t just affect the person using—it shakes the entire family, often turning parents into emotional opponents. When one wants to fix and the other wants to avoid, communication breaks down and your relationship can suffer. This episode offers a guide to rebuilding unity, even in crisis.

• Understand the common parenting roles—like fixer vs. avoider—and how they create friction during addiction struggles.
• Learn practical ways to reconnect with your partner through calm communication, shared values, and boundaries.
• Discover how couples counseling, education, and emotional honesty can strengthen your relationship and help you support your loved one more effectively.

Tune in now to learn how to heal together, support each other, and stay strong as a team—because your connection matters just as much as your child’s recovery.

🌱 Family Hope Support — Special Offer for Podcast Listeners (Australia Only)

Loving someone with a drug or alcohol problem can feel exhausting — the worry, the guilt, the fear, the sleepless nights. It wears you down.

At Family Hope Support, Wendy Brewer and Paul King offer combined one-to-one support sessions grounded in counselling insight and lived experience. Finally get the care & help you need to navigate a loved one's addiction. 🎉: Family Support Listeners Get 30% off every one-to-one support session — use code FAMILYHOPE at checkout.

👉 Claim your discount at familyhopesupport.com and start feeling less alone. You don’t have to do this by yourself

💛 Support the Podcast (Worldwide)

If our podcast has helped you feel a little less alone, you can now support our work through Ko-fi. Your contribution helps us keep creating this show and reach more families who need hope and guidance.

👉 https://ko-fi.com/familyhopesupport

This podcast provides practical guidance and support for families navigating the challenges of substance abuse disorder, offering insights from addiction recovery experts, family therapy, and support groups like Al-Anon and Family Drug Support, with a focus on understanding how to help and support loved ones dealing with addiction, including heroin addiction, through counselling and treatment options.

DISCLAIMER

Every family is different — if you’re supporting someone through addiction, please make decisions that are right for you, ideally in consultation with qualified professionals and appropriate support networks.