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Take Action! Dealing with alcohol and other drug problems in your family

Problems happen in all families. What's important is how your family works together to solve them. You need to use the combined strengths and skills of all family members — especially when dealing with serious issues such as alcohol and other drug problems.

Things You Can Do:

1. Face the problem as soon as possible. Serious problems such as alcohol or drug abuse do not go away on their own. They have to be dealt with.
2. Include everyone who needs to be involved in solving the problem. You may need to think carefully about how to do so. Make sure each person knows all the important facts.
3. Keep things in perspective! Don't downplay the problem, but don't make it bigger than it is either.
4. Don't talk down to people and remember, it's important to listen. Try to create an atmosphere in which family members feel they're partners in solving the problem. Let all family members talk about how they see the problem and how it affects them. It will most likely be different for everyone.
5. Agree on realistic goals and the steps each family member needs to take to get there. Don't expect everyone — especially young children — to be able to take on the same level of responsibility.
6. Be patient! Things may not work out right away. The important thing is that you are trying to work together and that efforts are recognized and appreciated.
7. Look at how your family worked out other problems in the past. Learn from these experiences.
8. Keep your family's values, rules and goals about alcohol and other drug use in mind as you deal with challenging situations.
9. Have confidence in your family's ability to work out the problem. But, if you can't solve the problem together, don't look on it as a failure. When you need outside help, don't be afraid to ask for it! There's no shame in seeking help from others when dealing with alcohol or other drug problems in the family.
10. Celebrate your success when you work out a difficult problem. Do something that the family enjoys, such as making a special dinner or going on an outing together.