Alcoholism

Alcoholism and other addictions have become headline news. I’ve worked extensively in the recovery field at inpatient, residential, outpatient facilities, and in private practice. And I have come to see how these addictions can ruin a person’s life, but also they can ruin the lives of everyone around them.

Addiction in an individual can be, at times, difficult to diagnose. It also can be problematic to determine if the person also has other diagnoses that need attention. While the statistics vary, it is clear that mental health disorders and a history of trauma, are much higher in people also with addiction disorders

And often, in families with a family member with an addiction disorder, they become the focus of attention and the mental and emotional status of the rest of the family can go unnoticed or underestimated. To complicate matters, parents, grandparents and other members of the family tree who have addiction issues also affect the subsequent generations.

The good news is that we have a greater understanding of the process of addictions and have developed strategies that really work. No one has to languish in addiction unless they insist on doing so. And, whether or not the addict or alcoholic decides to stop, there are strategies and resources to help the family recover. Feel free to contact me for further details.