“Some of us have so many voices in our heads, we could hold group therapy by ourselves,” said Rokelle Lerner, a popular speaker and trainer on relationships, women’s issues, and addicted family systems.
This internal chorus is often composed of voices…
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R.J. has been clean and sober and an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous for 20 years. He lives the Twelve Step program each day, one day at a time. He attends AA meetings faithfully, reads the literature, meditates, and asks…
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Parents who want to prevent their children from drinking might well ask the question: “So many of their friends are using alcohol. Will what I say to them make a difference?”
The answer is yes. Research indicates that little or no…
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Faced with a grandparent or older parent who abuses alcohol or other drugs, you can easily feel defeated. “Dad’s been drinking all his life,” you might conclude. “He’s just too old to change. At his age, what difference does it…
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When people talk about an older adult who abuses or misuses alcohol or other drugs, we’re likely to hear comments such as these:
This woman lost her husband and her house and now she’s headed to a home for older people.…
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Adults who grew up with alcoholic parents probably have plenty to be mad about. As children, they were virtually powerless to stop the forms of abuse and neglect they often suffered. They couldn’t express their anger or outrage in a…
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Older adults are often overlooked when it comes to addressing the misuse and abuse of alcohol and other drugs. Even when adult children suspect that a parent is drinking a bit too much, the attitude tends to be either “Why…
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“If you want to make God laugh, just tell Him your plans.” This old Jewish proverb is especially familiar to people in recovery from addiction, but everyone can glean some meaning from these time-tested words. They serve as a gentle…
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Although the term “kinship family” is a new one to many people, the practice of grandparents or other relatives providing temporary or permanent care for children of parents who are unable to do so is an ancient custom. Today the…
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It is extremely painful to stand by and watch someone’s life be destroyed. Yet that’s the position family members find themselves in when an addicted loved one denies having a problem with alcohol or other drugs. Until that person admits…
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