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If you’re a parent in recovery, one of the hardest conversations you’ll face is the one with your child. What do you say? What do you keep to yourself? How do you explain something so heavy without scaring them?

There’s no perfect script—but there is a way to speak with honesty, care, and age-appropriate truth.

Why It Matters

Kids are more perceptive than we think. Even if they don’t understand addiction or mental health in detail, they sense tension, secrecy, and emotional disconnection.

Talking to them—rather than around them—helps rebuild trust.

What Kids Need Most
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Reassurance
 Let them know it’s not their fault. That they’re loved. That you’re getting help.

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Honesty at Their Level
 You don’t have to share everything. But you should name the struggle. “I was sick, and now I’m getting better,” works better than pretending nothing happened.

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Permission to Feel
 Kids may be angry, sad, confused. That’s okay. Let them know their feelings are welcome, even if they’re hard to hear.

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Consistency
 Follow through. If you promise you’ll be home, be home. If you commit to recovery, show up. Trust is rebuilt with time.

</li>
</ul>
How to Frame the Conversation (by Age)
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Young children (under 10): Keep it simple. “Mommy/Daddy had a sickness that made her act not like herself. Now she’s getting better with help.”

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Tweens/Teens: Be more direct. They may already know or suspect what’s going on. Ask what they’ve noticed. Answer their questions calmly.

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Young adults: They may be more ready to hear about the full scope of your experience—but they may also carry anger or mistrust. Let them speak.

</li>
</ul>
What to Avoid
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Blaming others

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Over-explaining your pain

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Making promises you can’t keep

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Using your child as a confidant or therapist

</li>
</ul>
Invite Ongoing Dialogue

This shouldn’t be a one-time conversation. Let them know they can ask more questions as they grow. Make emotional check-ins a normal part of your relationship.

Final Thought

You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be real. Your willingness to talk about your recovery can help your child grow up with more empathy, resilience—and trust in you.

Talking to Kids About Recovery: What They Need to Hear from You

When people talk about relapse triggers, they mention stress, sadness, anger. But one of the sneakiest, most overlooked triggers is boredom.

In recovery, boredom isn’t just inconvenient—it can feel terrifying. The space left behind when you remove a substance or habit can feel too big, too quiet, too unfamiliar.

And if you don’t plan for it? It might try to fill itself.

Why Boredom Is So Powerful in Recovery

Addiction often gives structure to your day. It fills time, numbs discomfort, and creates patterns. When that goes away, you’re left with a blank page—and that blank page can feel unbearable.

Boredom can trigger thoughts like:
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">“What’s the point?”

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">“I have nothing to do.”

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">“Just one time won’t hurt.”

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">“Maybe I was better off before.”

</li>
</ul>
It’s Not Just a Lack of Entertainment

Boredom in recovery is deeper than being “not busy.” It’s the absence of purpose, direction, and stimulation your brain got used to.

Without new tools or outlets, it becomes a breeding ground for cravings.

How to Handle It: Fill the Space With Intention
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Create a flexible routine.
 Structure helps prevent long, aimless stretches of time. Include time for rest, but also movement, meals, hobbies, and connection.

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Try new activities—even if they feel weird at first.
 Take a walk, doodle, learn an instrument, cook something new. You don’t have to be “good” at it. You just have to be curious.

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Connect with others.
 Loneliness and boredom often go hand in hand. Text a friend. Join a support group. Volunteer. People help fill emotional space.

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Use mindfulness techniques.
 Sometimes we label emotions as boredom when we’re actually feeling anxiety or grief. Sit with it. Breathe through it. Get curious.

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Build a “boredom emergency kit.”
 Keep a list of quick actions that reset your focus—music, stretching, making tea, going outside. Keep it visible.

</li>
</ul>
It’s Okay If You Miss the Chaos

It’s not uncommon to miss the drama of active addiction. That chaos was stimulating, even if it was destructive. Recovery can feel flat in comparison.

That doesn’t mean it’s wrong—it means it’s healing. Give it time.

Final Thought

Boredom isn’t the enemy—it’s the space where new things begin. But you have to plant something in that space, or old patterns might try to grow back.

Structure it. Fill it. Protect it. One day, that empty space will feel like freedom.

Boredom Is a Trigger Too: How to Fill the Space After Addiction

We often think of healing as something that happens in the mind—through talk therapy, journaling, insight. But what if your body is holding onto the pain, too? Somatic therapy says: it is.

Somatic therapy is a body-centered approach that focuses on how the nervous system stores and releases trauma. It’s grounded in neuroscience and growing in popularity for one simple reason—it works, especially for those who feel “stuck” after traditional therapy.

What Is Somatic Therapy?

“Somatic” means “relating to the body.” This form of therapy recognizes that trauma isn’t just remembered—it’s felt, stored, and replayed through body sensations, muscle tension, posture, breath, and movement.

Somatic therapy uses body awareness, breathwork, and gentle movement to help release tension, regulate the nervous system, and promote emotional healing.

Why Talk Alone Isn’t Always Enough

Many trauma survivors say, “I’ve talked about it a hundred times, but I still feel like I’m there.” That’s because trauma lives in the body, not just the brain.

Fight-or-flight responses, frozen reactions, and chronic tension don’t always respond to logic. They respond to somatic release.

How Somatic Therapy Works

A typical session might include:
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Breathing exercises to calm the nervous system

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Body scans to build awareness of internal sensations

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Gentle movement to release trapped energy

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Guided visualization or grounding techniques

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Conversation, but focused on bodily experience—not just thoughts

</li>
</ul>
The goal is to complete the body’s unfinished stress responses and return to a felt sense of safety.

The Science Behind It

Somatic therapy is supported by neuroscience. Research shows:
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">The vagus nerve (which connects the brain to the body) plays a key role in regulating stress

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Polyvagal theory explains how safety cues in the body shift us out of fight-or-flight

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Movement and breath impact cortisol levels, heart rate variability, and emotional resilience

</li>
</ul>
Who Benefits Most

Somatic therapy is especially helpful for:
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">People recovering from trauma or PTSD

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Those in addiction recovery

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">People who struggle with dissociation, numbness, or anxiety

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Anyone who feels “disconnected” from their body

</li>
</ul>
How to Start

You can begin somatic practices today:
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Try 3 minutes of focused breathing

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Do a body scan before bed

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Walk slowly and mindfully for 5 minutes

</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li aria-level="1">Place a hand on your heart when overwhelmed

</li>
</ul>
Or work with a somatic therapist trained in modalities like Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, or trauma-informed yoga.

Final Thought

Healing isn’t just in your head. It’s in your chest, your shoulders, your breath, your bones. Somatic therapy reconnects you to your body—and through it, to peace.

Blogs

We Accept Most Major Insurance

Have a Questions?
Drop us a line!

Blogs

We Accept Most Major Insurance

Have a Questions? Drop us a line!

Have a Questions?
Drop us a line!