Sespecially For Young People, Glossary

by National Institute of Health

(Page 6 of 6)

You may be having difficulty handling some of your concerns about living with a person who abuses alcohol or drugs. Whether this person is your mom, dad, grandparent, brother, or sister, it is important that you talk about your problems, fears, and concerns with people who are understanding and sympathetic.

You may feel that you caused your family member's substance use disorder or that it is somehow your fault. You may think that if you had behaved better, done better in school, or been different in some way your mom or dad or the person you care about would not drink so much alcohol or take drugs. You did not in any way cause their disease. No one ever causes another person's substance use disorder. It is nobody's fault that someone you care about has become ill.

Your family member may have embarrassed you in front of friends, teachers, or another person. You may have stopped bringing friends home or stopped telling your parents about school activities. Now that your relative is in treatment, his or her behavior should improve.

You may have lived with fighting and stress, and you may have been abused or witnessed other kinds of violence. You may feel very angry and sad because of these experiences. Now you can talk about this and other feelings with your family or the staff at the treatment program. It will be important for you to share your thoughts and feelings about what has happened. You may want to go to self-help groups such as Al-Anon or Alateen. Some young people find these meetings to be helpful. These groups talk about the three C's: You didn't Cause it, you can't Control it, and you can't Cure it. Remembering the three C's can help.

It is important to know that substance use disorders run in families. People who have a blood relative with a substance use disorder are about four times more likely to develop the same disorder than those who do not. This means that you may have inherited a tendency to develop a problem yourself, and you should be careful about drinking alcohol or taking drugs. This information is meant to educate you, not to scare you.

Q: My father is the one who drinks too much alcohol. Why do the counselors want to talk to me? A: Treatment professionals know that substance use disorders affect the whole family. It makes sense, then, to offer help to the whole family. Some programs offer family education, and others involve the family or couples in counseling sessions. It's hard to grow up with a parent who uses alcohol or drugs. It can be helpful if you learn more about the disease and the effect it has had on your family and on you. Talking to someone who understands substance use disorders can make a big difference for you.

The situation at home will probably improve because your relative is in treatment. Like treatment for people with other illnesses, treatment for substance use disorders is helpful, but not everyone knows or believes it is. A great deal of stigma and shame are still associated with substance use disorders. What and how much you tell your friends or teachers is your decision and your family's. You may just want to say something like, "My mom is ill, but she will get better and come home soon. Thank you for asking."

You may choose to help educate some of your close friends about your relative's illness and his or her progress in treatment. Or, you may decide not to share this information with them. It's your choice.

Remember, you didn't create this problem, but you can play an important role in helping everyone heal. Hang in there.

Glossary

Denial

The thought process in which a person does not believe he or she has a problem, despite strong evidence to the contrary. It is a way of protecting oneself from painful thoughts or feelings.

Detoxification (or "detox")

A process that helps the body rid itself of substances while the symptoms of withdrawal are treated. It is often a first step in a substance abuse treatment program.

Followup care

Also called continuing care. Treatment that is prescribed after completion of inpatient or outpatient treatment. It can be participation in individual or group counseling, regular contact with a counselor, or other activities designed to help people stay in recovery.

Halfway house/sober house

A place to live for people recovering from substance use disorders. Usually several people in recovery live together with limited or no supervision by a counselor.

Inpatient treatment

Treatment in a setting that is connected to a hospital or a hospital-type setting where a person stays for a few days or weeks.

Outpatient treatment

Treatment provided at a facility. The services vary but do not include overnight accommodation. Sometimes it is prescribed after inpatient treatment

Relapse

A recurrence of symptoms of a disease after a period of improvement; that is, a person in recovery drinks or uses drugs again after a period of abstinence.

Relapse prevention

Any strategy or activity that helps keep a person in recovery from drinking alcohol or using drugs again. It may include developing new coping responses; changing beliefs and expectations; and changing personal habits, lifestyles, and schedules.

Residential treatment

Treatment in a setting in which both staff and peers can help with treatment. It provides more structure and more intensive services than outpatient treatment. Participants live in the treatment facility. Residential treatment is long term, typically lasting from 1 month to more than 1 year.

Self-help/12-Step groups

Support groups consisting of people in recovery that offer a safe place where recovering people share their experiences, strengths, and hopes. AA's 12 Steps help the members recover from addiction, addictive behavior, and emotional suffering. These groups are free and are not supported by any particular treatment program.

Supportive living

Also called transitional apartments. A setting in which the skills and attitudes needed for independent living can be learned, practiced, and supported. It provides a bridge between supervised care and independent living.

Therapeutic community

Long-term residential treatment that focuses on behavioral change and personal responsibility in all areas of a person's life, not just substance use.

Treatment plan

A plan that provides a blueprint for treatment. It describes the problems being addressed, the treatment's goals, and the specific steps that both the treatment professionals and the person in treatment will take.

Treatment team

A team of professionals (e.g., clinical supervisor, counselor, therapist, and physician) responsible for treating a person and helping his or her family.

Trigger

Any event, place, thing, smell, idea, emotion, or person that sets off a craving to drink alcohol or use drugs.

About the Author

NIH is the nation's medical research agency - making important medical discoveries that improve health and save lives. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research.