The Alcohol and Drug Problems Support Center

Every person is unique, but when you face a challenge like alcohol or drug problems, you are never alone.  Countless men, women and adolescents have faced the exact same problem and have survived and thrived.  The following guide is designed to help you navigate your journey with the best information and resources that helped other survivors when they faced the same challenge. 

TSC has scoured the Internet and assembled links to the very best alcohol and drug problem resources: articles, blogs, forums and tools that can help you make better decisions and take action to overcome the range of physical, emotional and other challenges that you face.

As you’ll see, we always welcome your ideas and suggestions to make this Alcohol and Drug Problems Guide even more helpful to survivors like you.   
 

JUST FOUND OUT 

Survivors Say: Best Resources for Alcohol and Drug Problems

• MedicineNet.com
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• MedlinePlus - Substance Abuse Problems

The Big Picture

Some estimates put the number of drug users at 30 million people per month. The number of people who use alcohol regularly is likely higher, though certainly not all of these people have a problem with their alcohol use. One challenge in dealing with alcohol and drug problems is that often the person who needs help is unwilling to accept that fact. If you have acknowledged your own problem, congratulations. This is the crucial first step in recovery.

Whether you have an alcohol or drug problem, or whether someone in your family does, the cost to the family is high. Understand what the family has to go through, and know that there is support available to those family members and friends affected by the person's addiction.

Al-Anon and Alateen: Is Your Life Affected by Someone's Drinking?

Your Alcohol or Drug Problem

Alcoholism is a disease, but it is something that many people can cope with if they’re prepared. About.com offers an excellent resource guide to answer a lot of questions about alcoholism.

About.com: Alcoholism

Whether you have a drug problem, or your friend or family member does, the National Institute on Drug Abuse offers an array of information on how to handle addiction. It also offers information on different types of drugs, on how to handle addiction at different ages, and on how to participate in clinical trials.

National Institute on Drug Abuse

You also may want to read up on how to intervene if you’re planning to confront someone who is using:

Intervention Center: Family Intervention for Addiction

Crystal methamphetamine is the fastest growing drug being used in the United States. Crystal meth, a form of amphetamines, is different from many other drugs in that it is entirely manufactured in lab. Understanding how crystal meth is made and its side effects can help fight it.

About.com: Crystal Meth Facts

Your World

Support is available in many forms for people who use alcohol and drugs. Getting support often takes a huge leap of faith, but these resources are out there, and available for you.

Drug and Alcohol Addiction Support Groups

Alcohol and Drug Problem Myths

• Abuse of drugs or alcohol stems from a character flaw.
• Willpower is all you need to stop using drugs.
  
• If you fail at your first therapy/recovery attempt you will never succeed.

Information and Recommended Links for Survivors 

Many teens try alcohol because they think it’s cool. While some will not develop any long-term problems, others will develop the taste for alcohol that leads them to dependence. Kid’s Health provides easy-to-understand information for pre-teens and teens who may be thinking of trying alcohol.

Teens Health: Alcohol

Types of Treatment

Rehabilitation Programs

Most people who are alcoholics or drug addicts will at some point enter a rehabilitation program. These programs work in different ways, depending on the philosophy of the organization leading the program, but they all have the goal of getting the drug out of the system and helping the person start a clean life.

Mayo Clinic: Alcoholism - Treatment and Drugs

Medication

Medications exist for both alcoholism and drug abuse. Some of these medications help reduce cravings and others stabilize the body while the person gets the drug out of the system.

National Institute on Drug Abuse: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction

Creating a Support Circle

• Set up your TSC Survivor Profile
• Join support groups of other survivors or set up your own
• Interact and provide updates on your profile or our forums.

Insurance & Legal Matters

Insurance Matters

Now that addiction, especially alcoholism, is classified as an illness, many insurance companies cover the treatment. The extent of the coverage varies widely, from programs that cover only medications to programs that will pay significant expenses for inpatient treatment facilities. Understanding what your insurance policy covers before committing to a treatment plan can help save money.

Gate House Academy: 2008 Cost of Drug Rehab - Insurance Coverage for Drug Rehab

Legal Matters

In addition to the physical and emotional concerns surrounding alcohol and drug addiction, the user and his or her family must consider legal ramifications as well. Knowing the law related to any pending court cases, custody issues, or other legalities is important to surviving and thriving.

Alcohol Problems and Solutions: Legal Issues in Alcohol and Drinking

Health-care Providers Who Can Help

The first line of defense for people who have alcohol and drug problems, unfortunately, is often an emergency room doctor. After these emergency services, the user will need to find mental health services as well as a rehabilitation program. Mental health professionals, such as therapists, psychologists, and social workers often deal with alcohol and drug users in rehab. Family doctors also can help with ongoing needs, such as prescription medications and blood and urine screenings.

Find Rehab Now: Why Rehab?

Resources to Find Health-care Professionals:  

Finding Mental Health Professionals

Therapist Unlimited: Got Therapy?

Choosing a Rehab Center

Sober Recovery: Drug Rehab Centers, Alcoholism, Addictions, and Mental Health Help

The Emotional Roller-coaster

Alcohol and drug use come with a whole host of emotional concerns. Some people begin drinking or using drugs to escape emotional problems, and the drugs often work to exacerbate those problems. For loved ones, the roller-coaster often involves the ups and downs of dealing with sobriety and then a return to using. Educating yourself on the reality of alcohol and drug problems and exposing yourself to books and stories written by experts will support you in your journey to recovery.

Books Survivors Recommend

• Addiction: Why Can’t They Just Stop?
• Marriage On the Rocks: Learning to Live With Yourself and an Alcoholic
• Understanding the Alcoholic’s Mind: The Nature of Craving and How to Control It
• Willpower’s Not Enough: Recovering from Addictions of Every Kind

What Survivors Wish They’d Known 

Communicating with Your Health-care Providers

• Be honest. Whether you’re seeing a mental health professional or a family doctor, you need to let the provider know everything that’s going on in order to allow him or her to assess your case.
• Ask questions if you don’t understand. Don’t be afraid to admit when a course of treatment makes you nervous or doesn’t seem to be working.
• Find someone who’s been through addiction before to help you navigate the treatment options available. Though doctors are a great first resource, a firsthand account is helpful, too.

Dealing with Alcohol and Drug Problems: Information and Recommended Links for Co-Survivors:      

How you can help

• Be honest with your loved one. Don’t be an enabler by not asking questions or pushing on issues when you know the addict is lying to you. Honesty goes a long way in helping someone through recovery.
• Don’t be overly optimistic. Recovery is hard, and it often takes many attempts. Be a good friend by offering to listen and provide moral support, but don’t pretend all is well.
• Offer to help with any needed tasks. Your friend or loved one may need someone to handle daily chores for a while, and you often can be the best support by being there for those needs.

What to say 

• "I’ll support whatever treatment option you decide to pursue. You have to make the best choice for you.”
• "I’ll be happy to go to appointments or meetings with you if you’d like."
• “Helping you get better is our top goal right now. We’ll work everything else out later.” 

What not to say

• "Don’t you wish you’d never had that first drink?" 
• "I know plenty of people who’ve gotten clean on the first try."
• "This would be easy if you had enough willpower."

Things you can do for a survivor every day

Often people who are facing drug and alcohol problems simply need someone to be there for them. The family members of addicts usually need emotional support, too. Being a friend to the spouse or partner of an addict often means a great deal to the family.

How to build a support network

• Set up your TSC Co-Survivor Profile
• Create a support group for your friend or family member.
• Interact and provide updates

How to help a survivor deal with day-to-day challenges

• Talking to Children About an Alcoholic Relative: About.com - What to Tell Children About a Parent's Addiction
  
• Dealing with Failed Rehab: Gatehouse Academy - Why Drug Rehab Treatment Fails
  
• Facing Alcohol in Social Situations: My Optum Health - Avoiding Alcohol, How to Say 'No'

After recovery, assess and share with others how you feel emotionally, mentally and spiritually. By telling your story, you can not only put into perspective your thoughts and feelings but you can provide hope to others who are going through a similar journey themselves, whether it be alcohol or drug problems, or a completely different challenge. 

Recovery / Relapse

Connecting with others who have been where you are often is the best first step. Whether your urges still seem overpowering or you have them under control, Alcoholics Anonymous can be a wonderful way to talk out problems with people who understand what you have faced.

Alcoholics Anonymous: Is A.A. For You?

One of the major problems former drug addicts face is how to find a job. A drug conviction on a criminal record isn’t a good sign, and often drug users have no stable history of employment. Getting advice on how to find a job is key.

Addiction Recovery Guide: Your Internet Guide to Drug & Alcohol Addiction Recovery

Knowing what to say and do after someone comes home from rehab is difficult, especially if that person’s addiction has caused you considerable pain. Dealing with this issue head-on is the best way to handle it.

Go Ask Alice!: Supporting a Loved One After Drug Rehab

Unlike other problems, recovery from addiction depends largely on the addict being complicit in the program. The biggest drawback to medication and treatment center options is that the addict can go back to the drug at any time and essentially undo the treatment. Know the dangers of relapsing, and know where you can turn to prevent a relapse.

Substance Abuse Treatment Programs: Signs of Relapse

Partnership for a Drug-Free America has success stories about people who have recovered from drug abuse. These stories can be inspirational:

Drug Stories: Stories About Drug Abuse - Drug Addiction Stories

Give Back

What helped you while you were dealing with the alcohol or drug problem, undergoing treatment and realized you had recovered? Take a look back at your journey and share with other what helped you and what you wished you would have known/done during your experience. You can create a profile, reach out to other survivors, join support circles or share your story by following the links at TheSurvivorsClub.org.

Dealing with an alcoholic or a drug addict who won’t get help is a huge challenge for friends and family members. Learning new ways to approach intervention and knowing where to seek emotional support for yourself will help:

Healthy Place: What Can You do When an Alcoholic Won't Get Help?

In the worst case, if your friend or family member dies from an overdose, be prepared to begin processing your grief:

Hospice: The Grieving Process