| BOOK OF THE MONTH NON-FICTION |
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For Teenagers Living With a Parent Who Abuses Alcohol/Drugs
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| Join the Discussion |
Is there hope?
"My best friend's step-dad drinks extremely heavily. Her mother would like for him to quit drinking (at least during the week for starters) but he won't even do that. It's gotten to the point where her mom is ready to leave her step-dad over this... He's what my friends mom called a "functional alcoholic," which means he can drink to the point of passing out and still get up in the morning and go to work."
~ HIP_PINS2003
How can I get him to stop?
"How can I make him understand that drinking is bad for him and he needs to stop? "
~ SHIMMER16
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The Facts:
Publisher: iUniverse.com & Back in Print
Category: Teens/Self Help
Available Online: Yes!
Suggested Retail Price: $10.95 US or $17.95 CAN
The Author:
Edith Lynn Hornik-Beer is the author of four books. She has written for major magazines and newspapers both in the U.S.A. and abroad, and for many years she had a syndicated newspaper column, The Young World. She has appeared on many TV and radio shows such as Good Morning America, the Mike Douglas show and has been invited to lecture at various colleges and universities including Long Island University and Chautauqua Institute.
Why she wrote it:
We hear a lot about parents struggling to keep their kids sober and forget that all too often it is the parents, not the kids, who have an addiction. For teens facing a parent's addiction, life is already very confusing, the last thing that they need to hear is a bunch of technical jargon describing the addiction. Teens need to know the facts, they need to know how to handle the specific circumstances that come from living with an addict, they want to know that they are not alone and that there is hope. This book is meant to help teens understand that they are not to blame for their parent's illness and that they are entitled to a happy and guilt-free life.
The Author Explains
"The idea for the book was born many years ago when I had my own syndicated newspaper column, The Young World. While doing research for my column I noticed that some youngsters who experimented with drugs often talked about their parents' drinking and pill taking. I then did the book, You and Your Alcoholic Parent (Association Press/Follett). Shortly after that I was asked to write The Drinking Woman (Association Press/Follett), and A Teenagers Guide To Living With An Alcoholic Parent (Hazelden)."
What it is about:
For Teenagers Living With a Parent Who Abuses Alcohol/Drugs is about the daily ordeals faced by teens with parents who are addicts. In a Q & A format, the book tries to answer some of the most intimate questions and concerns that teens have about addiction. Some of the questions are very specific while others deal with the broader aspects of addiction and healing. The book tells teens how they can cope, both pysically and emmotionally, with their parent's illness. It assures them that they are not to blame and that it is not their role to "save" the addicted parent or the family. The book talks about the signs of addiction, strategies for dealing with an addict without enabling the addiction, and how to get help. There are discussions about what teens can do to help a parent who wants to quit and what they can do to help themselves get out of an unhealthy situation if the parent won't seek treatment. The inner workings of interventions, 12 step programs, and peer-support groups like Alateen are explained.
Who should read it:
Anyone who lives with, or knows someone who lives with, an addicted parent. Counsellors and social workers will definitely find the information in the book useful. Parents who have an addiction would also benefit from reading this book, especially if they are currently in recovery. This book should be required reading for all people who deal with teens on a daily basis.
MORE >>> For Teenagers Review - Part Two
