DETECT YOUR CLIENT’S ALCOHOL LEVELS FOR UP TO 12 MONTHS

The ability to test your client’s hair alcohol levels and gain a snapshot their alcoholic past is now made possible through the introduction of Hair Alcohol Testing in the UK.

Recently launched by Trimega Laboratories Ltd in April 2007, this new method of testing has been adopted by numerous court, legal and family advocates across the UK. For the first time ever, there is a non-invasive method of establishing long-term excessive drinking for up to 12 months.

ALCOHOL ABUSE – THE FACTS

It is difficult to quantify the impact the substance misuse has on families. The use of drugs and alcohol is often one of many factors that place stress of family relationships. Substance misuse is associated with domestic violence, martial break-up, unemployment, and parenting problems.

“Researchers have observed high levels of mental health problems among relatives of people who misuse alcohol and drugs . Further, children of problem drinkers are more likely to have behavioural problems, school related problems, and to use alcohol and drugs in a problematic way than children of non-problem drinkers.

Current estimates indicate that 780,000 to 1.3 million children affected by parental alcohol problems and between 250,000 and 350,000 children of problem drug users in the UK .

There are an estimated 1.3 million parents with alcohol misuse problems in the UK and 350,000 parents who have serious drug problems in England and Wales . Of these parents who misuse drugs it is estimated that only 37 percent of fathers and 64 percent of mothers still live with their children .

Childline, a free 24 hour helpline for children and young people across the UK received calls from just under 140,000 children in 2004/2005. Analysis of these calls suggests that more children are effected by parental/carer alcohol misuse than drug misuse. In 2004/2005 the number of callers who spoke to Childline about significant other’s alcohol misuse was over double the number who called primarily to talk about significant other’s drug misuse (3,442 compared to 1,600)

It is therefore not surprising that substance misuse (particularly alcohol) is a problem for a large proportion of children and families on social work case loads in the UK. A 2002 Nuffield Foundation study reviewed the cases of 290 children allocated for social work cases across four London boroughs. Sixty two percent of the children involved were subject to care proceedings and 40 percent were on the child protection register. The study found that the parental substance abuse affected 100 families, 34 percent of the total sample. 41 percent involved alcohol misuse, and 27 percent involved alcohol and drug misuse. Only 29 percent of the families involved had received support from substance misuse professionals .”

Furthermore, alcohol has just been classified as the fifth most seriously harming drug, after only heroin, cocaine, barbiturates and street methadone. Even more shocking is the fact that liver disease is the fifth highest cause of death in Britain and that alcoholics are just as prevalent in society as diabetics.

So it is not surprising that many legal, medical and HR professionals have been looking for a reliable test that tracks an individual’s history of alcohol misuse.

ALCOHOL ABUSE TESTING EXPLAINED

Traditionally, excessive alcohol consumption has been monitored using the Liver Function Test (LFT), which indicates the degree of inflammation present in the liver, and the Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin (CDT), which shows excessive alcohol consumption by looking at a specific biological marker in the blood. While useful in showing excessive alcohol consumption over past three – four week period, the major limitation is the window of detection. There is still a valuable place for these tests, not least because they provide a fuller picture of alcohol abuse over a two – four week period.

Hair alcohol testing extends that history significantly by providing a reliable and historical record of alcohol consumption for periods of up to one year.

The alternative provider in the Medico-Legal market for hair drug testing, Trimega Laboratories, have a patent-pending process of hair extraction for these markers, followed by interpretation of results against controls set with clinical data from alcohol users that allows them to distinguish teetotalers or social drinkers from alcoholics or individuals drinking at harmful levels.

When hair grows it absorbs a range of chemical markers that are locked in the hair in just the same way that the rings on a tree can tell us about the climate year by year. These markers, including fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE’s) only occur when ethanol (‘alcohol’) is consumed, The more alcohol an individual consumes, the greater the concentration of these markers in the hair.

Unlike hair drug testing, it is currently not possible to segment samples to give a month-by-month pattern, unless the donor has abstained from drinking for the most recent 3 months or more. The reason for this is that fatty acid derivatives measured are carried into the hair via sebum from the scalp and then down the hair shaft. So past periods of abstinence when followed by excessive alcohol consumption cannot be accurately tested.

Already the feedback and interest in this medical application since the launch has been remarkable. This latest technology is a beginning of a new era in substance misuse prevention insofar as early identification of individuals that could place children at risk and families at risk.

For further information in relation to this testing Visit www.trimegalabs.com Or contact 0845 388 0124

Carlos

Alcoholism signs and symptoms are clues that alcohol may be a problem. If left untreated, alcoholism signs and symptoms and alcoholism can affect the quality of life of the person as well as those around them. Alcoholism is a disease where alcohol consumption (beer, wine, or hard liquor) is at a level that interferes with the person’s physical and mental health, and negatively impacts family, social or work responsibilities.

Alcoholism symptoms can be recognized relatively early in the disease’s progression, but if not dealt with, alcoholism can be fatal. Here are alcoholism signs and symptoms that indicate alcohol may be a problem:

• Becoming Angry When Confronted About Drinking

• Daily or Frequent Alcohol Consumption Needed to Function

• Drinking Alone

• Finding Excuses to Drink

• Food Intake Neglect

• Hiding Alcohol Related Behavior

• Inability to Stop or Reduce Alcohol Consumption

• Memory Loss, Blackouts

• Morning Shakes

• Nausea, Vomiting

• Physical Appearance Neglect

• Violent Episodes Occur When Drinking

When considering alcoholism signs and symptoms, alcoholism can be broadly divided into two categories - alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Alcohol abusers may drink heavily at various times, but they have not yet become alcohol dependent. Alcoholism signs and symptoms for alcohol abusers can be problems that happen while being intoxicated such as drinking and driving, violent episodes, or missing appointments, work or school.

Alcohol dependence can develop over the years and follows a generally predictable pattern. A tolerance of alcohol develops first, which means a person needs to consume greater quantities of alcohol before the same effects are noticed. Over time, the person may lose control over their drinking and may not be able to stop even if they want to. And if alcohol consumption is reduced or stopped, withdrawal symptoms can be experienced which can range from annoying to life-threatening.

If the alcoholic continues drinking, he or she may become obsessed with drinking to the exclusion of almost everything else. Many of the above alcoholism signs and symptoms may be noticed. The most severe kind of drinking is called ‘binge drinking’, periods of time with continuous heavy alcohol consumption.

If alcoholism continues to progress, the mental and physical health of the alcoholic can seriously deteriorate. Many of the body’s organs can become damaged which lowers resistance to disease and infections. Relationships at home or socially may become damaged, and there can be financial and legal problems due to the alcoholic’s inability to stop drinking.

If the alcoholic continues to drink, alcohol can ultimately cause their death one way or another. Accidents and related injuries, suicide, drownings and falling asleep in bed while smoking and intoxicated and burning to death are examples of the consequences of alcoholism. Health-wise, damage to the body’s organs and systems due to long-term excessive drinking means the person will likely suffer from a number of diseases and conditions such as heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver, malnutrition and cancer.

Are there different stages of alcoholism? Yes, most definitely. If the alcoholism signs and symptoms indicate that alcohol consumption is becoming or is already a problem, there are resources available to help with alcoholism and the serious consequences of this disease.

Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing

Pam

Addiction is a condition characterized by repeated, compulsive seeking and use of drugs, alcohol or other similar substances despite adverse social, mental and physical consequences. It is usually accompanied by psy­chological and physical dependence on the abused sub­stance and the appearance of withdrawal symptoms when the addictive substance is rapidly decreased or terminated.

When addiction exists, the drug use controls the individual rather than the individual controlling the usage.

Many of today’s illegal drugs are extremely addictive. Some are far more addictive than common illegal drugs of the past. For example, smoked methamphetamine and crack cocaine can be addictive after very short­term use. Ecstasy, a drug often used in dance clubs, can be highly addictive for some people. A person may think they can experiment with these drugs just a few times and then find, to their surprise that they can’t easily quit when they want to.

Many pharmaceutical (doctor­prescribed) drugs are also addictive; particularly ones for depression or sleep problems. They are addictive whether they are legally obtained and used properly or are obtained illegally and abused. Abusing pharmaceutical drugs usually means that a user is taking a higher­than­recommended dosage or they are using them wrongly by injecting or smoking the substance instead of taking it by mouth.

IS ADDICTION A DISEASE?

Whether a person is genetically or biochemically pre­disposed to addiction or alcoholism is a controversy that has been debated for years within the scientific, medical and chemical dependency communities. One school of thought advocates the “disease concept” which embraces the notion that addiction is an inherited disease, and that the individual is chronically ill at a genetic level, even those who experience long periods of sobriety.

Another philosophy argues that addiction is a dual problem composed of a physical and mental dependency on chemicals, compounded by a pre­existing mental disorder (i.e., clinical depression, bipolar disorder or some other mental illness) and that the mental disorder needs to be treated as the primary cause of the addiction.

A third philosophy subscribes to the idea that chemical dependency leads to permanent chemical imbalances in the brain that must be treated with psychotropic medi­cations (drugs that act on the mind, altering mood or behavior) and sometimes antipsychotic medications after the person withdraws from the drug to which they are addicted.

While it is true that there is some scientific research that supports each of these concepts, it is also true that none of these theories are absolute. A review of national averages shows that addiction treatment programs based on these theories result in recovery rates of just 16% to 20%.

There is a fourth school of thought that has proven to be more accurate. To understand this way of thinking, it is necessary to understand the life cycle of addiction.

This data is universally applicable to addiction, no matter which theory is used to explain the phenomenon of chemical dependency. The life cycle of addiction begins with a problem, discomfort or some form of emotional or physical pain for a person. This person is, like most people in our society, basically good. But he encounters a problem that is causing him physical or emotional pain and discom­fort and for which he does not have an immediate answer. Perhaps, as a child or teenager, he has difficulty “fitting in.”

Or maybe there are physical injuries such as a broken bone, a bad back or some other chronic physical condition, or the person has suffered losses in life.

Whatever the origin of the difficulty, the discomfort associated with it presents the individual with a real problem. He feels that his problem is major, persistent and without solution or relief Most of us have experienced this type of problem in our lives to a greater or lesser degree.

So for these reasons, some people, young or old, male or female, high income or low, begin to use alcohol or drugs that have the potential to be addictive.

Once the person takes the drug, he feels relief from the discomfort. Even though the relief is only temporary, the drug is adopted as a solution to the problem and there­fore, the individual places value on the drug or drink. This assigned value is the only reason the person ever uses drugs or drinks alcohol a second, third or more times.

There are a couple of key factors involved in this life cycle that determines which ones of us become addicts and which ones do not. The first factor is peer pressure. If, at the time of this discomfort, a person is subjected to pro­drug or pro­alcohol influences through some sort of significant peer pressure, that influence can affect his decision­making with regard to finding relief from this discomfort.

Peer pressure manifests itself in many different ways. It can come from friends or family or through some channel of advertising. Peer pressure combined with relief of the discomfort or problem can determine the severity of drug use.

Second, the person felt bad in some way before he used drugs or alcohol and he feels better afterward. That relief has value.

Simply put, the bigger the problem, the greater the dis­comfort the person will experience. The greater the dis­comfort, the more importance the person places on relieving it and the greater the value he assigns to that which brings about the relief.

THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF ADDICTION

Those who start down the path of addiction begin to accumulate so much damage to their physical and mental selves and their lives that the quality of their lives in general deteriorates. If drug or alcohol abuse continues unchecked, eventually the person is faced with so many unpleasant circumstances that each sober moment is filled with despair and misery. All this person now wants to do is escape these feelings by medicating them away. This is the downward spiral of addiction.

For most addicts, there are only three possible outcomes: sobriety, prison, or death.

To learn more about addiction and recovery, order your My World E-book, “The Barriers to a Successful Recovery,” and receive 3 bonuses: “Solving Addiction” E-Book, “The Way to Happiness” E-Book, and the My World Recovery Starter Workbook.

Warren

This treatment option is the equivalent of holding a little surprise party for the substance abuser, which is orchestrated by the hands of a therapist or professional interventionist. Information is compiled weeks prior to the surprise, and each family member is instructed to confront the habitual behaviorist in a speech littered with shame and guilt! All taking place while the white treatment center van is parked outside, motor running ready to whisk the person off to therapy, after they break down into a sobbing mess!

Many proponents describe family intervention as an open, respectful process that is highly effective in motivating the chemically dependent person to seek help and is a wonderful first step in healing the family. Well, let’s think about this for a minute! We know that the root cause of addiction stems from emotional issues caused by none other than Family dysfunction. So, the intervention allows some of the very perpetrators to lambaste the substance abuser with a barrage of guilt and shame! So, in what way is the intervention respectful? Is it in fact respectful for the addicted person who has a battered self-esteem and has allowed his or her family to strip them of their self-respect and personal power? Common sense would dictate that this treatment option only exacerbates the emotional scars that are at the root of the addiction, and in many cases will worsen the addictive behavior. Addiction by nature is a self-esteem issue, so why would you blast the addicted person with additional shame and guilt? Addiction recovery requires liberation and empowerment not powerlessness and self-incrimination. Therefore, in my opinion, family intervention is not only counterproductive, but it is also dangerous! Furthermore, even if the person agrees to treatment following the intervention, the likelihood of permanent success is slim since the root cause still remains and has not been dealt with in the appropriate manner.

If the parents of the habitual user truly wish to intervene, and want to help their child or adult child, then I would offer the following recommendation; Begin by examining your own actions and the actions of your spouse. How have these actions caused the emotional pain that has resulted in the habitual behavior to mask it? In other words, locate the root cause!

For more information on how to overcome addiction subscribe to my free 5-step e-guide below…….

overcoming addiction

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Best wishes,

David Roppo

Addiction Coach

Tom

Medications

The classical use of medications for alcoholism is to encourage abstinence. Antabuse (also known as disulfiram), for instance, prevents the elimination of chemicals which cause severe discomfort when alcohol is ingested, effectively preventing the alcoholic from drinking in significant amounts while they take the medicine. Heavy drinking while on antabuse can result in severe illness and death.

Naltrexone has also been used because it helps curb cravings for alcohol while the person is on it. Both of these, however, have been demonstrated to cause a rebound effect when the user stops taking them. These do allow a person to overcome psychological addictions to alcohol, but they do not treat the neurochemical addiction.

In more recent studies it has been demonstrated that the use of naltrexone while the alcoholic continues to drink can result in extinction of the neurochemical addiction. Referred to as the “Sinclair Method”, this technique is used with good results some US states and in Finland but has failed to penetrate much of the world because of the long-standing bias against any treatment that doesn’t involve detoxification and abstinence.

Rationing

Rationing or other attempts to control use are increasingly ineffective as pathological attachment to the drug develops. Use often continues despite serious adverse health, personal, legal, work-related, and financial consequences.

Detoxification

Detoxification programs run by medical institutions often involve stays for a number of weeks in specialized hospital wards, where drugs may be used to avoid withdrawal symptoms. In severe cases, detoxification may lead to death. To that point, even a simple “de-tox” can involve seizures, if not properly monitored.

Post Detox Therapy

After detoxification, various forms of group therapy or psychotherapy are recommended to deal with underlying psychological issues leading to alcohol dependence. It is also used to provide the recovering addict with relapse prevention skills.

Aversion therapies may be supported by drugs like Disulfiram, which causes a strong and prompt sensitivity reaction whenever alcohol is consumed. Naltrexone or Acamprosate may improve compliance with abstinence planning by treating the physical aspects of cravings to drink. The standard pharmocopoeia of antidepressants, anxiolytics, and other psychotropic drugs treat underlying mood disorders, neuroses, and psychoses associated with alcoholic symptoms.

Group Counseling

In the mid-1930s, the mutual-help group-counseling approach to treatment began and has become very popular. Alcoholics Anonymous is the best-known example of this movement. Various branches are available for family members of the alcoholic or commonly referred to as the co-dependents. Other groups include LifeRing Secular Recovery and SMART Recovery.

Prevention

Some programs attempt to help problem drinkers before they become dependents. These programs focus on harm-reduction and reducing alcohol intake as opposed to cold-turkey approaches. One such program is called Moderation Management.

Nutritional therapy

Another treatment program is based on nutritional therapy. Many alcohol dependents have insulin resistance syndrome, a metabolic disorder where the body’s difficulty in processing sugars causes an unsteady supply to the blood stream. While the disorder can be treated by a hypoglycemic diet, this can affect behavior and emotions, side-effects often seen among alcohol dependents in treatment. The metabolic aspects of such dependence are often overlooked, resulting in poor results.

Return to normal drinking

Although it has long been argued that alcoholic dependents cannot learn to drink in moderation, research by the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) indicates a small percentage of individuals in the US whose dependence began more than one year earlier are now drinking in moderation. In contrast, a high percentage who undergo naltrexone use-reduction therapy are capable of normal drinking habits. Use of Naltrexone involves taking the medication an hour before any drinking occurs in order to maintain this.

Societal Impact

Today, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are major public health problems in North America, costing the region’s inhabitants, by some estimates, as much as US$170 billion annually. Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence sometimes cause death, particularly through liver, pancreatic, or kidney disease, internal bleeding, brain deterioration, alcohol poisoning, and suicide. Heavy alcohol consumption by a pregnant mother can also lead to fetal alcohol syndrome, an incurable and damaging condition.

Additionally, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are major contributing factors for head injuries, motor vehicle accidents, violence and assaults, neurological, and other medical problems.

Alcohol addiction is a treatable disease. If you are an alcoholic or are a family member of an alcoholic, contact your physician for the most current treatments available.

This article is Copyright © 2006, Heather Colman. Permission is granted to reprint this article as long as no changes are made, and the entire resource box is included.

Edgar

Most addicted people deny that they are addicts and it becomes difficult for their friends and family members to bring them for proper treatment programs. According to statistics, the rate of denial among addicts is quite high; about 90% of the addicts refuse to believe that they are addicts. It is observed in the addiction treatment program in New Hampshire that getting the patient into the treatment process is much more difficult than actually going through the actual treatment procedure.

Motivating the person to get into a rehab center for treatment becomes very important. There is a lot of focus on this in the addiction treatment program in New Hampshire. If there is an addicted person in your family for whom you are looking at treatment options, you will find the various intervention programs helping you in this regard. However, you will need to approach a professional here and plan out the treatment.

You need to plan and organize an intervention program that is customized to the needs of the patient. In case you are organizing such a program, it is advisable to call an intervention specialist to guide you. The intervention program allows you to give moral support to the addicts and encourages them to enter a suitable mode of treatment. You can plan this program with the help of other members of the person’s family and friends.

A good idea is to enlist the help of an expert on providing intervention who is known as the interventionist. This intervention specialist will guide you properly about the steps involved in the addiction treatment. This specialist will also encourage the group by providing examples of people who have successfully undergone these treatments. The intervention specialists will make your intervention program more effective.

Let us understand in detail how a typical intervention included in an addiction treatment program in New Hampshire will help the group of people planning a recovery process for someone.

The first step is to form a group. The intervention specialist will ask you to form a group of people, especially the family, who are willing to help the patient join addiction treatment. You may also include the close friends and neighbors of the addicted person into this group. Also if you can involve the employer of the addicted person in case he or she is working under someone. They can also help the affected person to come out of their addiction. Sometimes religious leaders are included so that the person feels comfortable. However, it is not advisable to include more than three to seven people because too many people can befuddle the patient.

Before forming the group, it is better to note down the role of each person from the group. Once the group is formed, you will need to inform the interventionist about it. It is better to decide the goal of this group beforehand. Your group can either have a goal of just motivating the addict to join the addiction treatment center or helping him or her until complete recovery. Each group member should take this program seriously and dedicate themselves to it.

It is a fact that the addiction treatment program in New Hampshire not difficult. The interventionist will guide you about the various ways in which you all can motivate the addict. The next step of the intervention program is to prepare a speech with the help of interventionist. The interventionist will guide you about the various ways in which you all can motivate the addict. On an appointed day, you will read out this speech in front of the addict to motivate him or her. In this speech you will need to tell the addict about your love for them, also about the fact that the addiction treatment program is not difficult. They have to be told about the various incentives they will get, including an improved and healthy lifestyle.

The intervention will want to go through these speeches to make sure that they will have the right kind of impact on the patient. These will need to be rehearsed so that they carry the meaning when they are spoken out to the addicted person.

A day for meeting the patient is then appointed and on that day, the group members will speak with him or her either individually or in a group. If this is done well, there is a great chance that the addict will join the addiction treatment program.

There are chances that the addict will not get motivated and join an addiction treatment program in New Hampshire. The first attempt might go wasted. Be ready for the next meeting too. With help of group efforts and a strong determination, the patient can be motivated to get into treatment.

Christopher

The number of addicts who are into methamphetamine addiction is increasing rapidly. In last ten years itself the methamphetamine addiction has bloomed like never before. Earlier the methamphetamine drug was not freely available in America but now due to illegal transport from the neighboring countries, this drug is all over the states in America.

The various laboratories that are working illegally in America, are also manufacturing methamphetamine due to heavy demands. That is the reason why the methamphetamine addiction in Nebraska has gone sky high. The government has already taken action against all such laboratories that are producing methamphetamine but still there are various laboratories, which are working hidden and making methamphetamine easily available for the addicts.

The treatment of methamphetamine addiction in Nebraska is a difficult treatment procedure as there are several issues that play as hurdles in the treatment program. Therefore the treatment centers in Nebraska are still unable to judge a single treatment program for methamphetamine addiction. The treatment for meth addiction is not as simple as treatment for any other drug addiction because of the strong addictive nature of the substance that makes a person’s brain quickly succumb to the addiction and stay within it. Hence, one can see many numbers of meth rehab centers opened in each state of America.

The meth rehab centers have a different procedure to deal with the methamphetamine addiction. Hence it is always advised to the meth addict to take treatment in meth rehab centers only. The various problems that are related with methamphetamine addiction are discussed below.

Most of the methamphetamine addicts in Nebraska are among the youth. The teenagers and those who are in their early twenties are the people who are into meth addiction. The laboratories that make methamphetamine distribute this drug in places where mostly young people are, like nightclubs and discos. The youth enjoying in such places easily fall prey to such substance in order to get pleasure and have some fun.

The methamphetamine and crystal meth both these drugs are used in groups. Hence under the peer pressure many youth start consuming these drugs and slowly find it difficult to manage without these drugs. Thus the agents distributing the methamphetamine drugs try to make this drug available in places where people will be in groups.

Methamphetamine is an arousing drug, in that it makes the addict sexually aroused. When it is taken in group the chances are the group will indulge in some sexual activity and thus risk of the addicts getting some or the infection like HIV. This makes the meth addiction treatment program in Nebraska makes it even more difficult. The injection and addiction together increase the chance of addict getting into bigger troubles.

The trend in many states of America is that the gay population is more into methamphetamine addiction. After consuming methamphetamine and indulging in sexual relations the addict and their partners can get major infection like HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. This is the major concern faced by the methamphetamine treatment in Nebraska.

The methamphetamine drug has brought various other such problems into Nebraska. The overall situation has gone haywire in Nebraska but still the state authorities are trying their level best to handle the situation. The major task done by the state authorities is to give counseling programs in various locations throughout the state. With the help of all these counseling programs the general awareness is being spread among the youth and all other age group people.

By making the youth and other age group people aware about the sever effects of methamphetamine and also by controlling the laboratories producing the methamphetamine drug, the state has managed to control the situation. But it goes without saying that unless everyone decides to stay away from methamphetamine addiction the situation will not become like it was ten years before.

The addicts should also join a meth rehab center for treatment of methamphetamine addiction in Nebraska and get the proper treatment before it becomes too late. The timely treatment will help the addict to give up their addiction and live an addiction free life. The treatment program will be quite tough compared to the other drug treatment programs. The patient will be given counseling throughout the treatment program as many addicts leave the treatment program midway due to the difficulties come in the treatment.

If anyone in your family is into methamphetamine addiction then help them to understand that they need treatment and also try to convince them to take proper medical help in meth rehab center in Nebraska.

Leigh

Help for Parents with Addicted Children

Are you enabling your Child to continue in the Addiction Process?

Addiction to drugs and alcohol among our children covers the entire social and economic spectrum in our society. Many ascribe addiction to poor parenting, however while poor parenting can contribute to the addiction problem, good parenting does not prevent it. Some families have one addicted child while their other children, living in the same environment, do not become addicts. So whether you are certain your son or daughter is not addicted, suspect they may be addicted or know that they are addicted, you may want to read more of this article. You will find help on recognizing addiction, learning what you may be doing to enable it and what you can do to help your son or daughter and to help yourself deal with it.

Recognizing Addiction in Your Son or Daughter

Parents are often the last to recognize addiction in their children. Studies have shown that about 4% of parents of 9 to 11 year olds believe their child may have used drugs while about 25% of these children admit to doing so. There are several reasons for this. The children get very good at hiding alcohol and drug use from their parents while parents do not want to believe it to be possible. In addition, there is a judgmental attitude that drug and alcohol use is the result of poor parenting so parents deny the problem even in the face of strong evidence to the contrary. Here are some questions to help you determine if your son or daughter has the disease of addiction.

1. Do you have relatives on either or both sides of your family who are addicted? Genetics plays a large role and sometimes the disease skips a generation or two.

2. Have you found evidence of drug use in your home such as marijuana joints, empty liquor containers (either theirs or yours) or drug paraphernalia? Children will go to great lengths to hide alcohol and drug use from parents, so if they are leaving evidence this is an indication they have lost control of their use.

3. Have you seen a major change in behavior such as grooming habits, loss of interest in family activities, studying habits, withdrawing, depression, new friends, belligerence, extreme defensiveness, etc.?

4. Has your son or daughter gotten a MIP or DUI, been charged with shoplifting or theft?

5. Do they tell you that they are not affected by drinking alcohol or can drink more than their peers? This usually is perceived as good thing by an addict but actually indicates they have developed a high tolerance because of excessive use.

6. Have you seen burns on their fingers or lips, needle marks, or sores on their nose and face?

7. Has your son or daughter lost weight or developed a poor appetite?

8. Do they have money problems and refuse to explain how it is being spent?

Hopefully these questions will help you decide whether there is a problem or not. If you believe there is, you must begin by understanding what is and is not enabling behavior and how to avoid it.

Are You Enabling Your Child in the Addiction Process?

If you are like most parents, your initial response to addiction in a child is “We are going to fix this problem?” The common initial thoughts of parents faced with an addicted child will include, I’m going to punish my child, or I’ll lecture him about the problems with doing drugs or alcohol, or I’ll ground him until he is 30!! However, these attitudes probably will do little to alleviate the problem. Instead they probably increase the desire in your child to abuse substances. This approach, among many others that keep the addiction process going, is called “Enabling Behavior”. After attending Al Anon meetings for a while, it becomes easier to make the distinction between what is enabling behavior and what is helping behavior. You will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle you. The following story illustrates the point.

As fathers, when our kids…even our adult kids, get into life threatening situations, sometimes it is just not possible to say “detach with love” and walk away…at least it wasn’t for me.

My alcoholic ex-wife actually schooled our oldest son with her addiction to wine. She created her own “drinking buddy,” and, because he was 17 and in the midst of those rebellious “dad’s an idiot” times, she won real favor with him by encouraging this “adult behavior.”

By the time he was 18, his mother and I had separated, so, with me out of the house, this boy really “took over the house.”

One night after work I received a panicky call from our youngest son. His older brother had beaten him up and threatened to kill him in a drunken rage. The boy was sobbing.

I had to do something. But before I did, I called my sponsor, who also had a son about my son’s age, and had successfully gotten him into treatment. My sponsor added a compassionate but detached good sound mind to my panic. Together we worked out a plan where I called the DA’s office first, found out that the older son could be charged with a misdemeanor and arrested. Then, when I confronted the boy I had a strong arrow in my quiver.

I used what we call in the program the “broken record” technique. I just repeated over and over the same message to him in the face of his bluster. It went something like this:

“I understand, but I want you to know that I have this option, and if there is any harm done, or even another threat of harm, I will have you arrested.”

Guess what? After I drove over and picked up his brother and got him to safety I called the older brother back. He was looking through the newspaper trying to find a job so that he could leave the house. But we never had another threat of violence against his younger brother. So how did this all end?

Well, my oldest son went through his various adventures, hit a bottom, came into AA, and started his recovery. He married a talented woman who became a nurse, went back to school, received his GED, then went on to a state-operated college and graduated Summa Cum Laude. He has made me a Grandfather twice over, and at this moment serving as a phenomenal teacher.

After my divorce from his mother, his younger brother moved in with my new Al-Anon wife and me. After a difficult period with counseling for four years, and some tragedy, he graduated from a state-operated college, and then found Al-Anon. That led to a great sponsor, professional counseling, his finding his own church and his deciding that he wanted to enter the ministry. He graduated went back to school, graduated from divinity school, and now, after a long stint as an associate pastor, has his own church.

A huge thank you to Al-Anon, Darrell my Al Anon sponsor, my new life with this incredible wife, my fantastic sons, and God.

What you can do to help yourself and to help your son or daughter

Prior to making any hasty decisions after learning your child is addicted, it would be beneficial to remember that we are ill equipped to deal with numerous issues that are involved in addiction. You need to get your child help either through a 12 step support group, professional addiction counselor or both. Along with your child’s recovery, you need to seek assistance in dealing with the pain, uncertainty, fear and insanity that are normal for parents of addicted children. The first healthy thought you should engage is that you did not cause the addiction, you can’t cure the addiction and you can’t control the addiction.

Some specific things you can do:

1. Focus on creating a healthy emotional atmosphere in your home. Resist the urge to yell by focusing on saying what you mean, mean what you say but don’t say it mean.

2. Focus on you and not your child. Your and his recovery will be better. Only seek to control yourself rather than your child.

3. It is important for both parents to work together by setting boundaries that define what will and will not be allowed in your home along with the consequences of behavior that is not allowed.

4. Be patient and don’t resent the method of recovery. Recovery of the addict may or may not materialize and chances are that if recovery does occur it will not be a result of what you did rather it will be the result of another addict doing 12 step work in carrying the message of experience, strength and hope to fellow addicts.

5. Keep a sense of humor and gratitude. These help when dealing with crisis.

6. Remember that your child has a higher power. Fortunately, you are not it because you are powerless over the disease of addiction. This frees you up to focus on you and your recovery.

7. Maintain hope that things can get better. This hope will keep you sane and help you with your responsibilities.

8. Do attend a 12 step recovery program for co-dependents and do get a sponsor. You will find out that you are not alone and that there is help.

Okay, so this is not the way you thought the family history would unfold when your child was born. Resentment, shame and anger are probably consuming your thoughts when you see your child. By following the steps outlined above, however, and making a commitment to the recovery process for yourself, you will find serenity, joy and freedom whether your child’s addiction continues or not. Often, the child also gets into recovery after they see the changes in your behavior. Addiction resulting in recovery may be the impetus to get your life restarted and refocused on the things that truly matter such as service to others, compassion, acceptance and honesty.

Taylor

PARENTS!

If you love your kids, choose not to drink alcohol By Eva Fry

CHOOSE NOT TO DRINK ALCOHOL FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF YOUR KIDS!

AN INTELLIGENT CHOICE! A WISE DECISION!

Why would a parent, who may enjoy drinking alcohol, choose not to drink?

They know tragic consequences may be in their children’s future, if they drink alcohol and their children follow their example.

Good parents refuse to encourage, enable or model alcohol that could potentially kill their child. They know a double standard does not work! Telling your child not to drink alcohol, when you are drinking, doesn’t work! Responsible parents are aware that drunk driving, alcoholism, future drug use, are a small part of what can happen after a child takes it’s first drink. Parents who really love their children are willing to give up something they may enjoy themselves for the health and safety of their children.

I believe mothers have the greatest responsibility to their children in this area, because they set the tone of the home! For responsible parents, it is not a big sacrifice to make the choice not to drink alcohol.

A study was done on the brains of young people and the finding was that young brains do not fully develop until they are age twenty-five. Young people need the adults in their life to be good examples. They need parents to direct them and help them make good decisions. The sad fact is that many parents are bad examples and by the time a young person figures life out, they are following the same path as their parents.

If you are questioning this idea of parents abstaining, think of this! How would you feel if your child died in an alcoholic stupor because they just wanted to be like you? If you don’t want them to drink alcohol, you must not drink yourself!!!!!!!

There is a movement gaining great popularity today, similar to the anti smoking campaign, which had great success. This movement is called “Reducing Underage Drinking”. It is the result of Congress requesting the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine to review the evidence on various programs aimed at underage drinking and to recommend a strategy to reduce and prevent it.

The conclusion of the study is simply: Alcohol use by young people is dangerous, not only because of the risks associated with acute impairment, but also because of the threat to their long-term development and well-being.

I recently attended a national conference for this movement and was impressed with all the enthusiasm and excitement generated in teaching our young people not to drink alcohol, until they are twenty-one years old. Organizations from all over the United States gathered to share what they know and their successes. Great strides are being made and young people are really being educated in the dangers of drinking alcohol.

I am very thankful for all that is being done and commend all involved for their dedication and desire to save our young people.

Unfortunately, my only complaint is the lack of an abstinence message in their campaign. They are not making it loud and clear, to young people, that they have the choice not to drink alcohol at all, whatever their age. They are not being taught, “Abstinence is the better choice!” They are only teaching young people not to drink alcohol until they are twenty-one years old. They must believe something magical happens when they attain the age of twenty-one. If they only choose to drink then, there will be no consequences.

Why do I believe abstinence a better choice?

Once again from the study: 1/3 of youth traffic fatalities involve alcohol. Underage alcohol use is also associated with violence, suicide, educational failure, and other problem behaviors. All of these problems are magnified by early onset of teen drinking: the younger the drinker, the worse the problem. Moreover, frequent heavy drinking by young adolescents can lead to mild brain damage. A young person who begins drinking as a young teen is four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than some one who waits until adulthood to use alcohol. Almost 14 million Americans abuse alcohol or have developed alcoholism.

My argument for encouraging parents to choose not to drink alcohol is personal, but is backed up by the study. It says that the patterns and consequences of youthful drinking are closely related to the overall extent and patterns of drinking in the society, and they are affected by the same factors that affect the patterns of adult consumption. From this standpoint, it is possible that the most effective way to reduce the extent and adverse consequences of youthful drinking would be to reduce the extent and consequences of adult drinking. It is clear, however that Congress intended for the committee to focus on youth drinking, rather than developing a strategy targeting adult drinking. This is what the committee has done.

The study can be read at www.national-academies.org (Reducing Underage Drinking)

The study recognizes that the best way to help our young people to choose not to drink alcohol is to teach adults not to drink alcohol! It worked with tobacco and I believe it can work with alcohol too! Unfortunately that is not yet their focus.

Why do I think parents should choose not to drink alcohol?

1. Modeling or example is the best teacher.

2. A double standard doesn’t work.

3. Telling a child they should not drink until they are twenty-one is a temporary and potentially devastating solution which teaches them that drinking alcohol is ok. What happens, when they become twenty-one, and they choose to drink and end up destroying their life anyway? The first drink can be the beginning of alcoholism. Fifty percent of those who have alcoholics in their family can become alcoholic. It can also lead to a DUI, at any age, as well as all of the other violent crimes committed while people are drunk.

4. Why teaching our kids to only drink in moderation is a bad choice! Because moderation teaches, “It’s ok to drink alcohol.” There is no safety in teaching moderation. The only safety is in teaching abstinence. Besides, if you are trying to save your kids from the damage alcohol can do and you drink in moderation you are supporting the alcohol industry by giving them money for their products. Aren’t you enabling the alcohol industry to continue their mission to make money, so they can continue to destroy our kids, and families?

There is also another common argument. It is thought; if children are taught to drink at home they will be more responsible. This may be true in some cases but in European countries where this is done, the study reports that these countries are no better off than the United States in terms of the harmful consequences of youth’s drinking. Besides underage drinking is a crime and if you encourage your child to drink alcohol you are breaking the law!

Many churches have taught moderation and are now paying a price. They have alcohol problems in their congregations. Some of them have an anti drinking campaign, themselves.

5. As parents, we need to teach our children to naturally and fully use the abilities, gifts and talents they have been blessed with and encourage them to reach their life’s purpose and potential. How can they do that if they use a temporary substance to handle their life or avoid growth? If they think they need a drink of alcohol to have fun, handle a problem or escape from a situation, they will never discover their own capabilities. They will never develop the skills needed to enjoy life to the fullest. Kids need to see adults who do fully live their lives without the crutch of alcohol. They need to understand that life is fulfilling, enjoyable and successful without alcohol.

We love our children and we want to provide for them a healthy life style, which they can enjoy, their whole life. We want to do everything we can, as parents; to be sure they have the opportunity to fully live their lives. We want to keep them safe and in good health. ****Good parents set good examples for their kids****

Travis

ddiction is a journey, not an event. Any recovering alcoholic or addict will tell you that overcoming addiction is a process that unfolds before you for the rest of your life. But what exactly does this process entail, and how can we go about pursuing it successfully?

Surrender

Before you can even attempt to beat any form of drug or alcohol addiction, you have to surrender fully to the disease. What exactly does this mean?

It means you have to stop fighting with yourself in terms of trying to control your use. You have to give up the idea that you might one day be able to drink or use drugs like a normal person can. If you are hanging on to the idea that one day you might be able to control your drinking or drugging and thus use successfully, then you are setting yourself up for failure.

Surrender is a process. It just happens; I?m not sure that you can really initiate it if you are truly not ready to give up. Most people would say you have to ?hit bottom? first. If you are still having fun with drinking and drugging, then chances are not good that you can surrender to the disease. It is only after addiction has caused you a lot of misery that surrender becomes possible. It is only after the fun times are long gone that a person might consider the idea of recovery.

Beating addiction is a tough road and it takes a monumental effort. The alternative is to continue to self medicate and that is so much easier, even in the face of grave consequences.

Supercharge your recovery with a holistic approach Because addiction attacks a person?s mind, body, and spirit, the solution must also address each of these areas of your life. That is what makes a holistic approach so useful in recovery. So often in recovery I have seen people focus heavily in one area and neglect the others. This always leads to relapse.

A holistic approach addresses these problems. You physically abstain from chemicals and start treating your physical body much better. At the same time a successful recovery program will push you to grow spiritually. You?ll also mature emotionally as you repair relationships, and also socially as you develop a sober network of friends in recovery.

Don?t just eliminate?.create a new life

Beating addiction requires you to replace an entire lifestyle. It?s not just the drugs and the alcohol that was ruining our lives; it was the lifestyle that went along with it all.

When we get clean and sober, there are a number of different holes in our life. One of the main holes is the time and activities associated with actually using the drugs and the alcohol. Maybe we went to certain bars, hung out with certain people and used drugs, or whatever the case may be. We all had our ?watering holes.? And we spent a lot of time at them.

So really what we are faced with in order to beat addiction is to fill those holes. We can?t just sit around and expect to stay entertained?this is a recipe for relapse. Instead we need to create a new life in recovery. This is a whole topic in and of itself that can be expanded on a great deal.

Find a passionate replacement strategy

Another one of the ?holes? in early recovery is the spiritual void that is left when we remove the drugs and the alcohol. Beating addiction requires you to fill that hole?be it through spiritual, religious, or natural means. But there is definitely a need for purposeful and passionate living to replace the fervor with which we pursed chemicals in our addiction.

There are a number of creative replacement strategies that can be used to grow spiritually, and there are a number of ways to start exploring the creative life in recovery. Beating addiction can be purposeful and exciting.

Lawrence