top of page

What percent of us peers do you think are caregivers??

Click for the answer

Many of us don’t see ourselves as "caregivers." I didn’t either when I was younger and caring for a parent. But I learned from my peers that if you provide emotional or physical support to your parent, YOU are a caregiver, and there’s NO shame in that. Click here to read about ways we’ve cared for our parents

Hi there! If you are here, chances are that you are like me and look after a parent with substance use challenges. Thanks for being here.

Caregiving for a parent with substance use challenges (addiction).

Your peer, Canada.

I wish my parents had support. I wish they could have gotten it without fear of losing their kids. Shame and stigma is why my mom never took any supports. My mom never took hand outs as she called it and worked 3 jobs. She would be gone when we got up, and come home when we were in bed. When we went to my dads he was always drinking so he didnt take us too far, just to places he could go drink. My older siblings were left with the responsibilty of childcare. We all had to learn to cook, clean, and do laundry at an early age.

What is a Young Caregiver?

A young caregiver is a child, teen, or young adult who provides care, support, or help to someone in their family or community, often without being formally recognized as a “caregiver.” They might:

  • Look after a parent who struggles with addiction, mental health, or physical illness

  • Take care of siblings when a caregiver isn’t able to

  • Handle tasks like cooking, cleaning, translating, or emotional support

  • Worry about keeping the family safe, together, or stable

​

Young caregivers: taking care of a parent with an addiction
Mental ehalt hresources for youth impacted by parental addiction
Caregiving for a parent with an addiction

Download our free caregiving e-book.

New

Parental addiction: taking care of a parent with an addiction
Youth mental health resources: taking care of a parent with an addiction

New

Young caregivers: Taking care of a parent with an opioid use disorder

Download our free caregiving for a parent with Opioid Use Challenges

4 coluorful windows with a white background with some windows open and some closed.jpg

Boundaries are ok, and caring is ok too.

Boundaries are like a window-they allow us to keep out harmful weather and let the good weather in. Boundaries with people, especially with parents with substance use challenges can be more difficult, but still important and allow us some rest and respite. A few things that helped us:

Taking care of parent with an addiction: boundaries for young caregivers
Taking care of parent with an addiction: boundaries for young caregivers
Image by Dylan Taylor

New on the blog: Facing the Reality: Alcohol Withdrawal in a Parent

Before you move on, consider taking a pause moment: 

This is heavy stuff, click here for a moment of pause

Stressful experiences that we might have at home as an informal caregiver.

Note: We are not crisis response and all information is not to replace your local professional crisis response support 

Hi my name is Joan, many people don't realize that we are first responders, well, kind of. Click here to learn about what a first responder is.

Many of us have been the first responders during a mental health crisis at home, supporting our parents through their toughest moments. Click here to learn more.

Click below to learn about and connect on some of the experiences where we've had to be a first responder/ caregiver:

Withdrawal

Drug Toxicity

Overdose

Family Violence

bottom of page