You Can Lead the Way to Change
The change that I need is not the same as the change my Loved One needs. Making that distinction is important, because so much of our energy tend…
Category: Discussion Blog
He’s Almost 18 … I Can’t Force Him to Get Help
The situation with your son is upsetting and complex. It is paralyzing to parent a teen who runs away or threatens to hurt himself, either willfully o…
I’m Concerned About My Son’s Nodding
AiR member Layagirl's son has been clean for 11 months with the help of methadone treatments, but from the start he has been experiencing signific…
Vivitrol: for both alcohol and opiate addiction
It makes sense that your daughter is scared and ashamed. Addiction is so stigmatized, especially the use of opiates. In an ideal world, the family wou…
Aspergers & Alcohol
AiR member heartbrokenmom has written is about her son with Asperger’s who struggles with severe alcohol dependence. She is exhausted from the r…
They Form a Closed Loop – What Can I Do?
What you’re describing between your sister and nephew is one of the most difficult situations. One props up the other, in this reinforcing close…
They’re So Enmeshed – Can I Possibly Help?
“Enmeshed” is a good word to describe the situation between your sister and her son. Enmeshed describes a pattern, years in the making, wh…
Coaxing the Little Scared Animal…
Any parent would want to step in and fix what is so obviously broken. An ally, conversely, does things a little differently. An ally creates a sa…
News of Our Family in Recovery
I tell you Dominique, this is all a process and a journey that one would not embark on of one's own volition, but there are some moments of self-r…
Stick to Your Guns!
Dear help4t, Since you last wrote in, your daughter lost her job and is now couch hopping. Her ex-boyfriend, a drug user, is back in her life. Your ho…