THE FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF AS APPLIED TO PARENTING A CHILD STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION 

Parenting a child struggling with addiction can often feel like grieving the loss of a loved one. In this profoundly personal post, the painful journey of navigating a child's substance abuse is explored through the framework of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Scott shares candid experiences of hiding behind the defense mechanism of denial , wrestling with feelings of anger toward God , and the exhausting depression that comes from keeping a child's addiction a family secret.

Ultimately, this reflection offers a guiding light out of despair. It challenges parents to stop trying to bargain away the addiction , to break the silence by relying on the support of their community , and to find profound strength in acceptance by surrendering their family's restoration to God. Read more to discover how you can navigate this dark valley knowing you do not have to walk it alone.