Help for Family & Friends

In a “live in” facility, the client is taken from school, unable to leave when they wish (unless they are of legal age, this changes from state to state) and his or her life is pretty much put on hold…

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The most shocking thing is that alcohol and tobacco are considered by many to be “gateway” drugs, as are inhalants and marijuana. Simply put, that means that drinking alcohol or smoking tobacco is widely considered a “gateway” to using harder…

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The boy was 12. He had been drinking heavily since he was 11. He was tall and skinny and what his mom called “cute.” He stood outside liquor stores and paid a dollar to the seediest adult he could find…

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If so, you need to speak to your spouse as soon as possible to decide how and when you will do this, and as quickly as possible. Forget detachment; you wouldn’t stand outside the door while the house was burning…

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Yes, but because alcohol abuse can lead to alcohol dependence, or alcoholism, it’s imperative to understand how that can happen and to learn how to stop alcohol abuse in its early stages. Some youngsters are susceptible to alcohol dependence for…

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Alcoholics Anonymous

The fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was formed in 1935. As a self-help group of people recovering from alcoholism, AA offers a sober peer group as an effective model for achieving total abstinence.

The AA program is built around…

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It can be scary when someone you care about begins a Twelve Step recovery program. If that someone is an alcoholic who joins Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), you might feel left out, as if the person has joined an exclusive club…

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Margaret is the adult child of negligent, alcoholic parents. Her father is dead now, and her elderly mother is unable to care for herself.

Ron’s alcoholic father abandoned his family 20 years ago. Now he is old and ill and desperately…

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When Helen entered a homeless shelter in Chicago, staff members described her as “depressed, refusing to change her clothes, and flat.” Helen said that she’d been homeless for the last three years. She also said that she’d been hearing strange…

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If you were asked to name one of life’s greatest joys and challenges, many (maybe even most) of you would answer “children.” The nurturance of children is an awesome responsibility that requires a seemingly bottomless emotional and physical reserve. While…

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