Alcoholism Brian Reynolds Jessica Boll Zane Mehl.

Alcoholism

Brian ReynoldsJessica BollZane Mehl

Effect on Family

Youth and Teen Use

Resources

Rehab/Treatment

Process

Alcoholism is a family disease. • 18% of adults (1 in 5) have alcoholism in �

family • 38% of adults have a relative with �

alcoholism • 10 million married to someone with � alcoholism • 27 million Children of Alcoholics (COAs).�• 13-25% of COAs develop alcoholism� (National Council on Alcoholism

and Drug Dependence, 2010)

Impact on Family and Children:

Codependency

• Family members addicted to the alcoholic’s behavior

• Hiding problem, covering up, trying to “help” the drinker

• Forget about own needs• Don’t bring others home• Maintain family image• Usually denial of the problem• Sometimes turns into enabling(Parsons, 2003)

Alcoholism Affects…FetusesChildren

TeenagersAdult Children

Spouses

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

• Leading known preventable cause of mental retardation

• Causes brain damage• Babies are born small• Have problems eating , sleeping,

seeing, and hearing• Behavioral and neurological

problems- trouble in school, employment difficulties later in life

(US Department of Health and Human Services, 2009)

(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/19842.htm)

• FAS can also cause unusual facial features

Children

• Children of alcoholics (COA) are four times more likely to develop problems with alcohol than the general population

• Many other factors besides genetics increase the risk of becoming an alcoholic

(US Department of Health and Human Services, 2007)

COA, cont.

• Low self esteem, loneliness, depression• Problems in school- hard to study at home,

hard to start or keep relationships• Behavioral problems- truancy, stealing,

lying• Younger: bedwetting, nightmares, no

friends, afraid to go to school• Older: hoarding, obsessive perfectionism

(try to please parent), introversion, phobias

(Parsons, 2003)

Adult Children of Alcoholics

• Do not associate problems with parent’s alcoholism

• Depression, aggression, impulsive behavior, difficulty maintaining healthy relationships

• “Problems with intimacy,” difficult to trust others

(Parsons, 2003)

Spouses

• Take over both parenting roles• Avoid friends and family• Financial difficulties- loss of job,

money spent on alcohol• Hiding the problem, taking care of

the alcoholic

(Parsons, 2003)

Youth and Alcoholism

How many minors drink?

National

Local & State

Drinking Behaviors

Alcohol use in minor populations

Alcohol and Risk

Other Issues

–Lack of information –Developmental issues –Long term health issues –Social issues

Prevention + Interview

• Elva Giddings–Working in the field– Services available – Issues in the field

–What can be done

Resources• Drug and Alcohol Prevention

Services (WWU)• Catholic Community Services• Pioneer Center North• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) - www.aa.org

Alcohol/Drug 24-hour Help Line

• Statewide service• Crisis intervention line• No charge• www.adhl.org

1.800.562.1240

Al-Anon/Alateen

• www.al-anon.alateen.org• Relatives and friends of alcoholics• Share experience, strength, and

hope• Belief- alcoholism is a family illness;

changed attitudes can help recovery.• Many meetings weekly in Whatcom

County

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

- www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov• National Assoc. for COA• National Center on Addiction

and Substance Abuse

Pioneer Human Services

• Provides treatment and counseling for chemical dependency

• Non-profit, but earns income through sale of products and services

• Based in Seattle, local branch in Whatcom County

• Interview with Gregg Ronney

Alcoholism Treatment Plans

• Two main types of treatment: individual and group

• Needs of clients vary, but group treatment is more common than individual.

“Treating alcoholism is more treating the underlying issues rather than treating the addiction itself.”-Gregg Ronney, Detox Specialist/Intern Case Manager

Individual Treatment

1. Meet with a counselor

2. Create a problem list: relationship issues, work issues, relapse, mental health, etc.

3. Create a treatment plan based off of the problem list.

• Individual Treatment is specialized

Group Treatment Plans

• The idea of group sessions has been around since colonial America

• More personal support, less specialized

• Two types of Group Treatment: open ended and close ended

Close Ended Group Sessions

• Linear• Focus on education

(about 95%) • Less

discussion/relating than open ended, but more bonding (E.G.: Core)

• 12 step program is close ended (but individual)

Open Ended Group Sessions

• Non-linear• Start with

topic/theme, move on to open discussion

• Focus on identifying with others who share the same problem and engaging with them

• Alcoholics Anonymous

Learning Activity

Today we will be simulating an open ended group session.

Topic:The affects of alcoholism on relationships with

friends, family, and significant others.

Alcoholism is a Disease

• Genetically determinable• Hereditary• Trait• Not a moral deficiency or personal

weakness

(Ketcham, Asbury, Schulstad, & Ciaramicoli, 2003)

Alcoholism is not a Disease

• “It is pitiful that a society has to resort to seeing people as sick in order to be compassionate towards them” (Dreyfus, 2003, p. 16).

• Calling alcoholism a sickness is a form of labeling and causes us not to relate to alcoholics as people.

• If they are suffering from a disease, people are more likely to pursue treatment.

• There is no responsibility taken for compulsive behavior.

(Dreyfus, 2003)

Websites

• www.peele.net - Opposes the disease model• www.niaaa.nih.gov - National Institute on

Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism • www.ncadd.org - National Council on

Alcoholism and Drug Dependence• www.nofas.org – National Organization on

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome• http://www.thecoolspot.gov – For teens, info

on alcohol and resisting peer pressure