When Someone You Care About Abuses Drugs and Alcohol – When to Act, What to Say

Part of the Hazelden Classics for Families Series
Author: Anonymous

Assists concerned family members and friends in determining their options for helping someone abusing alcohol and/or drugs.  Addictive behavior is described, with clear guidelines for how and when to respond to the abuser’s behavior.  Throughout, the personal responsibility of concerned family and friends is reinforced, with suggestions for examining our motives for intervening.

Excerpt:
“When people we care about – friends and family members – seem to be having problems because of their alcohol or drug use, what should we do?  We have a responsibility to try to help those we care about see problems they may not be aware of, but we cannot solve their problems for them. This pamphlet will give you some guidelines on how to approach someone and what to say to encourage him or her to think about getting help.”