Self-Help Programs Alcoholics Anonymous World Service Office (AA), 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115; (212)870-3400. http://www.aa.org The original 12-step self-help program, with free meetings in nearly every community and more than 100 countries. Narcotics Anonymous (NA), P.O. Box 9999, Van Nuys, CA 91409; (818) 773-9999. http:// www.na.org One of the many other self-help groups based on the AA model. NA focuses on other drug problems. oving Al-Anon/Alateen Family Groups, 1600 Corporate Landing Parkway Virginia Beach, VA 23454-5617 Tel: (757) 563-1600. http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/ For those who have been affected by someone else's alcohol or other drug problem; also based on the AA model. forward Nar-Anon Family Groups, 22527 Crenshaw Blvd #200B Torrance, CA 90505 (800) 477-6291 . M http://nar-anon.org. The other drug counterpart to Al-Anon. Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA/ACoA), P.O.Box 3216 Torrance CA 90510 http:// With www.adultchildren.org/ Self-help groups for those who grew up in families with alcoholism. Send a self- addressed stamped envelope (SASE) for a list of meetings in your area. Women for Sobriety, P.O. Box 618, Quakertown, PA 18951; (800) 333-1606. http:// Your www.womenforsobriety.org/ Self-help meetings offering emotional support to women in recovery. Rational Recovery Systems, P.O. Box 800, Lotus, CA 95651; (916)621-2667. http:// www.rational.org/ Alternate self-help groups based on Rational Emotive Therapy concepts. life! Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS), 4773 Hollywood Blvd Hollywood, CA 90027 (323)-666 -4295 . http://www.secularsobriety.org/ Alternate self-help groups based on secular humanism. Leaving alcohol and other drugs behind National Non-Profit Organizations National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), 244 East 58th Street 4th Floor New York, NY 10022 ; (800) 622-2255. http://www.ncadd.org/ Local NCADD affiliates offer referral information, education, and other services. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) for the NCADD address nearest you. National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA), 11426 Rockville Pike, Suite 100, Rockville, MD; (301)468-0987. http://www.nacoa.org/ States chapters in 26 States. National Association for Native American Children of Alcoholics (NANACoA), 611 12th Avenue South, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98144; (800) 322-5601. National Black Alcoholism/Addictions Council (NBAC), 1629 K Street NW, Suite 802, Wash- ington, DC 20006; (202) 296-2696. http://www.nbacinc.org/ Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco (LCAT), 250 Fifth Avenue Suite 403 New York, NY 10001 (212)-334-5738. http://www.nlcatp.org/ National Asian-Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse, 1016 23rd Street, Suite 201, Sacramento, CA 95816 (916) 448-5911 . http://www.napafasa.org/ National Rural Institute on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 140 Vocational Rehabilitation Building 221 10th Avenue Menomonie, WI 54751 (715)232-2793 . http://www.uwstout.edu/outreach/conf/nri/
Government Resources National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI), http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/; (800)729-6686. Federal government service operated by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention for additional information and free literature in English and Spanish. National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), 1025 Con- U.S. Department of Health and necticut Avenue NW, Suite 605, Washington, DC 20036 ; (202)293-0090. http://www.nasadad.org/ Each State government has an office on alcohol and other drugs knowledgeable about services in your State. Human Services CSAT Hotline. (800) 662-4357. Routes callers to information and/or treatment referral services. Reformatted and updated by the Work Site Programs Nevada Prevention Resource Center 2009 Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) -- confidential counseling and referral services often are available. This pamphlet is not intended as a substitute for professional health care. Getting Help
John never missed a day of work, always took his kids to their sports The above descriptions focus on the problems of alcohol abuse and de- practices, and made sure the lawn looked nice, but on weekends he spent pendence, but they are just as applicable to problems with other drugs and a lot of his time drinking. He never felt quite up to par. Getting to work addiction. Deep down in your heart you know if you have a problem. But Monday mornings was becoming difficult. John knew he had a drinking you don't want others to think of you as bad or weak-willed or even problem, but he had a hard time asking for help. "sick," if you admit to having a problem. The fact is that you do have a pro- gressive disease that only gets worse with time and if you do not get help you could die from it.
Jessica was very shy and awkward and felt un- This is not meant to scare you. You are probably comfortable at parties unless she smoked some already frightened, worried about your drinking or marijuana or sniffed some glue ahead of time. She other drug-taking, and afraid to ask for help. But it's knew taking drugs was becoming a pattern, but it one of the most courageous things you can do for was better than feeling her sense of loneliness. yourself. It is difficult, but the sooner you do it, the On the other hand, she thought the time was easier it will be. It means that you have to start to getting near when all the drugs would cause her value and care for yourself. It's the step to take so worse pain than the loneliness. that all the other pieces can fall into place.
More than a million Americans like you -- women and men of every possible description, who have found themselves strug- Terry always tried to keep up with his buddies, but lately they seemed to gling with a drinking or other drug problem -- have taken charge of their be drinking and using other drugs all the time. Terry's father was an alco- lives and are free of these destructive dependencies today. As you begin holic and Terry had vowed he would never drink "that much." He was investigating the kinds of help available to you, you will discover that some confused. He kept up with his buddies to prove himself a man, but if his use one kind of help and others use a combination. Some rely more on father did the same thing to be a man, he wasn't sure it was a good idea. internal strengths and seek limited guidance from others, while many find the combined wisdom and experience of others with similar problems to be of priceless value. Still others benefit from the services of professional Maria tried everything she could think of to stop drinking. She switched counselors and therapists; ministers, rabbis, and priests; community agen- from beer to wine, decided not to drink until after the sun went down, cies. You might even want to take someone with you when seeking assis- took long walks whenever she felt the need to drink. But while she was tance. pregnant, her emotions ran very high. She hated the ups and downs and longed more and more for a drink. "A little drink now and then won't You can find out what kind of help is available from a health care provider, hurt," she rationalized. She felt ashamed and had trouble asking for help clergy, or employee assistance program (EAP). Therapists, community for fear of humiliation. health and social agencies, and alcohol/other drug treatment programs also can make useful suggestions. Begin by looking under "alcohol" or "drug abuse" in your telephone directory white pages. Or, you can contact any of the following national resources. You're now suffering some work-related problems and beginning to have Michael's mother and father told him a million money problems. You don't tell anyone. You drink some more or use other times he was no good. Getting drunk proved drugs, but they don't seem to help anymore. You feel out of control. You them right. "Why bother staying sober?" he'd are. Alcohol and/or other drugs have taken over your life. You know it. You ask himself. He knew the answer was he didn't also know that a little of this or a lot of that no longer takes away the worry; like himself drunk. So, he'd lay off for a month it is the worry. Alcohol and/or other drugs have you in serious trouble and or so, but then something would get him mad you need immediate help. There is no turning around. Go directly for and he'd start again and stay drunk for 5 or 6 help. days. He wanted some help. But how was he going to get it? 5. You've begun to realize that others are talking about your drinking or drugging. Vague questions really irritate you because, although they're about what you're doing tonight, who you're going to see or whether you got paid Susan was obsessed with drinking. She really enjoyed it and rarely associ- today, you know those questions were really to find out if you were going ated with anyone who couldn't keep up with out to get drunk or stoned. At first you thought they were selfish and nag- her drinking. She spent most of her free time ging, but deep down, it bothers you more and more that others may care in bars and restaurants known for generous about you more than you care about yourself. Why don't they just leave you drinks and became more interested in the alone? Maybe they don't know how to care for you. Maybe you'll have to wine list than the menu. She entertained a lot help them know how. It may not be easy. It may require a great deal of too, with plenty of people and cases of alcohol honesty from yourself and others, but this is what turns the lock What her guests didn't drink, she finished off. and lets you take control of your life again. Every once in a while the thought occurred 6. Your hands shake in the morning. You're frightened, scared, and many that she might be developing a problem, but times terrified. You feel like a little child, alone, unhappy, miserable, and de- she'd put it out of her mind. She didn't have to pressed. You don't care much anymore about anything. Life has passed you ask for help. No one would ever think she by and it wasn't fair. You may begin to contemplate suicide. Everyone is ex- needed assistance, would they? tremely irritated with you or has left you and it seems they didn't care. You don't eat much. Instead you drink, sometimes for several days at a time. Nothing relieves the pain and, after a while, you can't even drink very much anymore. At this point, you are in the late stages of alcoholism. While many of the physical problems may be somewhat reversed, others will not. But There's a good reason others may have seen your problem with alcohol or that doesn't mean getting help should be postponed. Thousands of men and other drugs and recognized your need for help sooner than you did your- women are recovering from the advanced stages of alcohol dependence and self. In a society where such problems are so stigmatized, and the person other drug addictions and have completely turned their lives around. They with the problem made to feel ashamed, it is easy to understand why you are willing to help you take charge of your life. Gather all the courage would want to deny that you have such a problem. In fact, this kind of de- you have to ask for help. Pick up the phone and make the call. nial has become so familiar that many experts associated it with alcohol and other drug dependence. Everyone described in this publication -- including you, perhaps -- is begin- The Facts ning to understand the seriousness of their problem and is wondering how 1. If you drink heavily after a confrontation or argument, or because of to get help. Some will act more quickly than others to get this help. Some emotional pain, you may feel that you need alcohol or other drugs to reduce will actually stop drinking or taking other drugs on their own. Some will the unpleasant feelings. But there are other ways to cope without using alco- get into trouble with the law, at work or with families or friends before hol or other drugs -- you can talk with others about your feelings, find com- they get help. But all of them need that help. fort around people who want to deal with life's problems, too, even yell in They do not want to depend on alcohol or the shower. If these options seem difficult, you may need the help and re- other drugs to cope with life and its prob- sources provided at the end of this pamphlet. lems any more than you do. Like you, they want to take charge of their lives as have mil- 2. If it takes more and more alcohol or more and more lions of others who have left alcohol and drugs to get the same effect, you know you have a prob- other drugs behind. lem. You're saying the reason for drinking or drugging is to relieve painful feelings or to get high. You're trying to If you drink to change the way you feel; to get away from something negative and looking for some- relieve boredom, anxiety, depression, anger, thing you think is more positive. After a while, the high or low self-esteem; to gain acceptance form others; to escape life's prob- won't get higher and you won't be able to get rid of lems; or to feel part of the good life you see in alcohol advertising, or in whatever is bothering you. In the meantime, you will drinking scenes in the movies and on television, then you are not alone. have become addicted and have that added problem to These are the reasons many people give for drinking. And if you are one of deal with before finding better and more positive ways of coping with your the 76 million Americans who grew up in a family where there was a problems. drinking problem, you may not have known that you had a greater chance than other so developing a problem yourself. 3. If you remember last night -- starting out, beginning to drink, maybe hav- But figuring out why you began drinking or using other drugs is not impor- ing a few extra drinks before your friends arrived "just to get in the mood," tant right now. What is important is to recognize that alcohol and/or other feeling pretty good, having a good time, having a few more drinks -- but then, drugs are taking you away from the life you want, understanding how seri- that's all you remember -- you've had a blackout. Blackouts are a major ous the problem is, and then getting help. problem. They are linked to all those extra drinks or to the large quantity you've started to consume. Now that you know this unpleasantness clearly, There is no typical alcoholic or drug dependent person. You may be old or you start to worry about senility, your capabilities, and the blackouts. It leads young; male or female; single, married, divorced, or living with someone; you right back to a bottle to stop the worrying and the memory of worrying. practice any religious observance or none; live in the country, city, or sub- It's an addictive cycle. Worry can be useful, but you don't have to do it urb; earn a lot or a little; come from any ethnic or racial background; and alone. There is help. More than 15 million Americans -- 1 out of every 11 -- live any type of lifestyle. suffer from a drinking problem. There also are many who use other drugs the same way. You are not alone.
4. The blackouts alarm you to the point of switching drinks, switching jobs, and switching promises to yourself. Nothing works.