“Something wasn’t right”—parents of children with drug problems looking back at how the troubles first began

Abstract

In this study we analyze how parents of adult children with drug use problems view the initial stages of identifying their children’s troubles as a severe drug problem. We focus on the parents’ accounts of the discovery process by identifying significant events in the parents’ narratives through ‘the micro-politics of trouble’. The study is based on an analysis of 32 semi-structured interviews with parents of adult children (aged 18+) with drug problems. Four themes emerged from the parents’ narratives: (1) the first signs of a problem, (2) drug problem or teenage defiance? (3) the awakening, (4) a passing phase. The different themes show how the parents’ interpretations of the situation influence their definitions and thus their actions. Early signs and indicators of something being wrong do not initially result in parents framing the situation as problematic as they are perceived as everyday concerns and dealt with as such. Our focus on the initial phase of the problem definition process and how this affects the parents may provide a better understanding of the parents’ situation and needs for support. This may be of use to professionals in the fields of social work and drug treatment who meet these parents and may have a role to play in the development of support measures that can improve their situation.