Honoring Children of Alcoholics Week
by Sue Scheff on Feb 08, 2012
February 12-18 is designated to honor children of alcoholics.
An estimated 25 percent of all children in the United States are affected by or exposed to a family alcohol problem. SAMHSA supports the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) during its Children of Alcoholics (COA) Week. COA Week celebrates the recovery of the many thousands of children (of all ages) who have received the help they needed to recover from the pain and losses suffered in their childhood, and it offers hope to those still suffering from the adverse impact of parental alcohol and drug addiction.
During COA Week, we acknowledge the millions of children affected by a parent’s substance use disorder and celebrate that there is hope and healing for these children now and throughout their lives. This week—and throughout the year—remember to ask, “What about the children?” when speaking about recovery from substance use disorders.
You can support Children of Alcoholics Week 2012 by visiting their site for more information.
About NAcoA (National Association for Children of Alcoholics):
The people hurt most by drugs and alcohol don’t even use them; they are the CHILDREN of alcoholics and other drug dependent parents.
The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) believes that none of these vulnerable children should grow up in isolation and without support. NACoA is the national nonprofit 501 (c) 3 membership and affiliate organization working on behalf of children of alcohol and drug dependent parents.
Our mission is to eliminate the adverse impact of alcohol and drug use on children and families.
• We work to raise public awareness.
• We provide leadership in public policy at the national, state, and local levels.
• We advocate for appropriate, effective and accessible education and prevention services.
• We facilitate and advance professional knowledge and understanding.
To help in these efforts, we:
• have affiliate organizations throughout the country, and in Great Britain, Germany, and Canada
• publish periodic online and print newsletters
• create videos, booklets, posters and other educational materials to assist natural helpers to intervene and support children
• host this site on the Internet with information about and ways to help children of alcoholics and other drug dependent parents.
• send information packets to all who ask, and
• maintain a toll-free phone available to all.
It’s the innocent children (1 in 4 under the age of 18) who suffer when their parents abuse alcohol and other drugs. The worst part is, they can’t help themselves. But you can. Join us in our critical work for these vulnerable children. Email or call us (toll-free) at 1-888-554-COAS to learn more about their daily plight and what small steps can be taken to make a great difference in their lives.
Join them on Facebook.
Tags: Alcoholic parents, Alcoholism, Children of Alcoholics, Drinking abuse, NAcoA, Parenting, Parenting Resources, Parenting Teens, Parents drinking, SAMSHA, Teen Drinking, Teen Help
Buzzed Driving Kills the Same as Drunk Driving
by Sue Scheff on Dec 26, 2011
Apparently, Rudolph isn’t the only one with a red nose. 43% of the driving fatalities on Christmas Day are alcohol-related. – Buzzed Driving
Buzzed driving is drunk driving. Getting behind the wheel after even just one too many drinks can lead to disaster.
Many people think that if they just have a few drinks, even two, they are sober enough to operate a vehicle. Maybe they are, but maybe they aren’t. What happens when it is your mother, father, son, daughter, friend that is suddenly no longer with us to celebrate the holidays because someone decided they were sober enough to drive?
Drinking and driving or buzzed driving kills. There is not alternatives – there is no turning back. Distracted driving is just as serious, and you are kidding yourself if you think differently.
Put down the cell phone, the text can wait, and you can enjoy a party as long as you remember to sober up before getting in your car. Don’t become a statistic this holiday season.
Take the pledge: I’m going to be smart; I won’t drive while buzzed.
Join Buzzed Driving on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for updated statistics.
Also follow MADD Online for important information on drinking and driving, especially when it comes to our teens. You can also join them on Facebook.
Tags: Buzzed Driving, Drinking and Driving, Drunk Driving, DUI, DWI, parenting advice, Parenting Blogs, Parenting Teens, Teen Drinking, Teen Help, Teen Issues, Underage Drinking
Teens, Kids and DRUGS: Is it MIND OVER MATTER?
by Sue Scheff on Nov 07, 2011
NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) has created an extremely informative and educational website to keep parents, teachers, teens and kids informed on substances and all forms or mind altering drugs that are being used today.
Here is a snapshot to learn about the effects of drug abuse on the body and the brain.
Anabolic Steroids – Anabolic steroids are artificial versions of a hormone that’s in all of us — testosterone. Some people take anabolic steroid pills or injections to try to build muscle faster.
Cocaine – Cocaine is made from the leaf of the coca plant. It often comes in the form of a white powder that some people inhale through their nose. Another form of cocaine, known as crack, can be smoked.
Hallucinogens – Hallucinogens cause people to experience – you guessed it – hallucinations, imagined experiences that seem real.
Inhalants – Hair spray, gasoline, spray paint — they are all inhalants, and so are lots of other everyday products. Some people inhale the vapors on purpose.
Marijuana – You may have heard it called pot, weed, grass, ganja or skunk, but marijuana by any other name is still a drug that affects the brain.
Methamphetamine – Methamphetamine comes in many different forms and is snorted, swallowed, injected, or smoked. Methamphetamine can cause lots of harmful things, including inability to sleep, paranoia, aggressiveness, and hallucinations.
Opiates – Maybe you’ve heard of drugs called heroin, morphine or codeine. These are examples of opiates. If someone uses opiates again and again, his or her brain is likely to become dependent on them.
Prescription Drug Abuse – Abuse is when someone takes a prescription drug without a doctor’s prescription or in a way or amount that is different from what was prescribed. Abuse of prescription drugs can have serious and harmful health effects, including poisoning and even death.
Tobacco Addiction – When tobacco is smoked, nicotine is absorbed by the lungs and quickly moved into the bloodstream, where it is circulated throughout the brain.
Teacher’s Guide – The Teacher’s Guide is used in combination with the magazines in the series to promote an understanding of the physical reality of drug use, as well as curiosity about neuroscience.
Tags: drug facts, marijuana, NIDA, parenting advice, Parenting Blogs, Parenting Teens, Parenting Tips, Smoking Pot, Substance Abuse, Teen Drug Abuse, Teen Drug Use, Teen Help, Teen Issues, Troubled Teens
Addiction: “Loved One in Treatment, Now What?”
by Sue Scheff on Sep 11, 2011
Breaking the cycles – stopping what you are doing that isn’t working. Loving your teen to death. Not taking the steps to help your teen, but rather you are loving them to death.
Lisa Frederikson founded Breaking the Cycles – Changing the Conversations in August 2008, following more than forty years of experience with family alcohol abuse and alcoholism, including eight-plus years of research and recovery work unraveling the effects. Her books are here today to help you and your family.
There is a great deal of 21st century brain and addiction-related research now possible thanks to advances in brain imaging technologies. These findings are exploding long-held beliefs about addiction and addiction treatment and the impacts of a loved one’s substance misuse on family members and friends. Loved One In Treatment? Now What! simplifies this research and answers questions, such as:
- What causes addiction? Why do some people become alcoholics or drug addicts and others do not?
- What is “effective” treatment? Is there a difference between treatment and recovery?
- Who among family members and friends can help a loved one get treatment? Or can they?
- What does coping with a loved one’s addiction do to family members and friends, and what is available to help them?
“Loved One In Treatment? Now What! is an outstanding, fact-filled, clear, easy-to-read and understand book aimed at helping friends and family, as well as the medical community, comprehend and approach one of the most baffling conditions that we face today.” Stan Fischman, M.D., Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
“Revolutionary…science-based answers, a checklist of next steps – a must read for anyone dealing with a loved one’s addiction.” Caroll Fowler, M.A., MFT, Addiction Specialist
“…what good is the latest research if it can’t be put to good use? This is one of the few practical guides to recovery tailored specifically for the family – highly recommended!” Gavin DeFreese, discoveringalcoholic.com
Click here to pre-order Loved One In Treatment? Now What!
If You Loved Me, You’d Stop! What You Really Need To Know When Your Loved One Drinks Too Much can help return your life to normal. You’ll learn about the most current brain research on the disease of alcoholism and facts not widely known to the general public about excessive drinking (alcohol abuse). Just 120 pages, this book covers a host of issues, including co-addictions, drunk driving, underage drinking, dual diagnosis, codependency and more. presented against the backdrop of her own experiences, author Lisa Frederiksen offers fresh hope to the more than fifty percent of American adults (and the one in four children) who have a family member who drinks too much.
“…a must-read for anyone whose life has been touched by alcoholism. You’ll never see this addiction in the same light again!” Beth Wilson, Integrative Life Coach and best-selling author of He’s Just No Good For Me: A Guide to Leaving Destructive Relationships
“Neither in my practice nor my own search for answers about alcoholism, excessive drinking and codependency have I found a book like this…” Cherie Zappas Tannenbaum, Nurse Practitioner
Click here to buy If You Loved Me, You’d Stop!
Follow Lisa on Twitter.
Join me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter for more information and educational articles on parenting today’s teenagers.
Tags: Addiction, Alcoholism, Parenting, parenting advice, Parenting Blogs, Parenting Resources, Parenting Teens, Residential Treatment, Substance Abuse, Sue Scheff, Teen Drinking, Teen Drug Use, Teen Help, Teen Help Programs, Underage Drinking
Decode Your Teen: Teen Drug Slang You Need to Learn
by Sue Scheff on Aug 02, 2011
2011 is a time when parenting and social media collide on many levels. However there is also a new list of terms that teens are using to mask their activities – especially substance use.
Bridge the communication gap and learn the slang terms that teens use for Rx drug use. Is your child an “all star?” You may be tempted to say yes, but this term doesn’t refer to team sports or academic success. An “all star” is a person taking multiple drugs.
DIRECTIONS: Every generation has their slang, but the lingo today’s teenagers use could mean something dangerous if they are abusing prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. For example, you go “fishig” for salmon or trout, they go “phishing” for pharmaceuticals.
Words that sound innocent to your ears may have another meaning on the street. Read the “hints” and then see if you can guess the drug culture’s definition of these common words or expressions.
Learn more about slang terms – click here.
Tags: Drug Slang, Drug Terms, Parenting, parenting advice, Parenting Blogs, Parenting Resources, Parenting Teens, Parenting Tips, Substance Abuse, Teen Drug Use
Grandparents Hold A Key to Keeping Teens Drug Free
by Sue Scheff on Aug 01, 2011
Time to Talk - an initiative from Partnership for a Drug-Free America is always bring us valuable and educational information to keep our kids safe and healthy.
Today’s grandparents do much more than bake cookies. Sixty-eight percent of grandparents see a grandchild every one-to-two weeks and eighty percent of grandparents talk on the phone with their grandchildren at least once every few weeks. According to a national survey conducted in conjunction with the 2000 Census, there are 4.5 million grandparent-headed homes with children under 18 and another 6.1 million grandparents live with and share parental responsibilities for their grandchildren. In other words, grandparents are doing more “parenting” than ever.
While parents are generally recognized as the most important and long-lasting influence on children, grandparents have a close and special bond and often serve as an inspiration to their grandkids. The unique relationship between grandparent and grandchild provides an ideal opening for a discussion about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Research shows that grandparents are looking for guidance on how to talk to their grandkids about difficult topics. In fact, according to an AARP survey, 54 percent of grandparents would find information about discussing drugs and alcohol somewhat or very useful.
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America offers the following tips for grandparents to keep their grandkids drug-free:
START: It is never too early to prevent your grandchildren from trying drugs and alcohol. Building protective factors — such as letting your grandchild know you care, plays an important role in deterring them from drugs. State your position clearly and often. One of the major reasons teens decide not to use drugs is the fear that their parents or other family members will lose respect for them.
Teens do not want to let down their families.
CONNECT: Take the opportunity to build lines of communication and do things regularly with your grandkids. Spend time together — take a walk with them, read together, play a game, go shopping, go to the movies, a baseball game or go sightseeing together. Use opportunities like family gatherings or inviting your grandchildren to stay over to show that fun doesn’t require drugs.
LISTEN: Take a more active interest in what is going on in your grandchild’s life. Listen to their cares and concerns by fostering family openness and communication. In this way, teens will feel more comfortable to open up to you when they need your advice.
Sour
ce: www.timetotalk.org | www.drugfree.org
Tags: Parenting, parenting advice, Parenting Blogs, Parenting Resources, Parenting Teens, Parenting Tips, Substance Abuse, Sue Scheff, Teen Help, Troubled Teens
Alcoholic Whipped Cream: The Latest Trend to Hook Young Drinkers
by Sue Scheff on Jul 28, 2011
It certainly looks harmless.
Whether it is drug addiction or alcohol dependency – substance abuse is dangerous and deadly! With the recent tragic death of Amy Winehouse, parents can open up lines of communication with their kids (especially teens). Parents can be the WALL between their kids and drugs and/or alcohol. Just being there and being an ear when necessary.
Now we have another trend to deal with.
A new whipped cream product infused with alcohol is being sold in stores across the country.
After the federal ban of popular caffeine-and-alcohol drink Four-Loko, a new product called whipohol, or alcoholic whipped cream, has emerged as a hotly debated topic among college students and health officials across the country, ABC News reported. Whipohol, which is essentially whipped cream infused with 15 percent alcohol, has been criticized by health officials as the new Four Loko because of the dangers of its consumption. The alcoholic whipped cream, sporting brand names like Whipped Lightening and CREAM, may be especially prone to abuse because it blends sugar and cream with alcohol, thereby concealing its taste.
According to the Boston Herald, Michael Siegel, a professor at the School of Public Health at Boston University, said that these new products are undoubtedly targeted toward young drinkers. As alcoholic beverage gimmicks are becoming more prevalent, Siegel added that it is critical to remain vigilant. “There are so many different alcohol trends out there,” he said. “What we need is a good surveillance system to be able to monitor these things.”
Legally licensed to sell whipohol to individuals ages 21 and over only, businesses are reporting that alcoholic whipped cream is becoming increasingly popular at liquor stores. “I’m amazed at the amount sold,” said Max Pendolari, general manager at the Wine Emporium, a store that sells CREAM for $12.99. “I thought these would be one of those kitschy things we pulled off the shelf in six months, but within the first week we had already sold out the initial order.”
Health officials are dismayed by the addition of the new potentially harmful product to liquor store shelves, adding that it may also provide alternative opportunities for abuse. Experts say underage drinkers might practice “huffing,” which involves sucking out the nitrous oxide from the whipped cream bottle to induce a high, ABC News reported. “Combining that behavior with alcohol is not a good situation,” said Robert Doyle, a physician and psychologist with Harvard University Health Services.
Furthermore, Doyle explained that even if people intend to drink responsibly, the addition of a liquored up dessert might lead to impaired driving. “Together with drinking, a few servings of whipohol could theoretically push you over the legal limit,” he said. Despite the uproar whipohol has caused at college campuses and in public health circles, some students maintain that it will fall short of the widespread popularity–and criticism–of Four Loko.
Source: CityTownInfo News
Be an educated parent, you will have safer and healthier teens.
Need more help? Visit www.HelpYourTeens.com today!
Tags: Addiction, Alcoholism, At Risk Teens, Parenting, parenting advice, Parenting Blogs, Parenting Resources, Parenting Teens, Parenting Tips, Substance Abuse, Sue Scheff, Teen Drinking, Teen Drug Abuse, Teen Drug Use, Teen Help, Teen substance abuse
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