Alcoholism: Its Ties to Domestic Violence and the Disruption of FamiliesAddiction, Alcoholism, News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthMay 20, 2020Sue and Tom* were married less than a year before Tom’s alcoholism began to hurt their marriage. Tom was eight years older than Sue, a graduate student at a prestigious university; she was an at-home mom for their first child, but would shortly start graduate school herself. The drinking problem was insidious at first. Tom’s…
How Families Can Help an Addicted Loved OneAddiction, Addiction TreatmentBy Promises Behavioral HealthJanuary 26, 2020Millions of Americans know how painful it is to watch a loved one struggle with alcohol or drug abuse. Research shows that more than 40% of adults in the United States have at least one addicted person in their immediate family. It is even more painful feeling powerless to help. Should you have a heart-to-heart…
Teach Your Children About Substance UseAddiction, Adolescent Issues, Substance AbuseBy Promises Behavioral HealthJanuary 3, 2020“Teach your children well,” a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song famously advises. Children are impressionable, like tofu that absorbs the flavor of whatever it’s immersed in. But sadly, many children are immersed in unsavory environments. It’s time to learn how to teach your children about substance use. Influence of Parental Attitudes Some parents say…
Raising Kids to Be Drug-FreeAdolescent IssuesBy Promises Behavioral HealthJanuary 12, 2015If you read anything in the news about drugs and addiction, the stories are usually bleak. More young people are abusing prescription drugs and a heroin epidemic, along with overdose deaths, is sweeping the country.
How Adult Children of Alcoholics Can Embrace Father’s DayAlcoholismBy Promises Behavioral HealthJune 11, 2014Not everyone can say they have the best father in the world. Father’s Day is the one day a year that people are encouraged to acknowledge and appreciate their dads, but if you grew up in an alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional home, the thought of honoring your father in any way, or even the thought…
5 Top Gifts for Mom This Mother’s Day to Make Her Feel Truly LovedMental HealthBy Promises Behavioral HealthMay 6, 2014Flowers are nice. Jewelry is generally appreciated. Going out to dinner is a popular favorite. But when it comes to giving Mom a gift she’ll remember long after the flowers are wilted, the jewelry is carefully stored and the meal is something of the past, many sons and daughters might consider a loving gift instead.…
Long Arm of PTSD Haunts Children of VetsTrauma & PTSDBy Promises Behavioral HealthMarch 25, 2014Her father’s despair seeped into every waking moment, poisoning the family. By age 5, Christal Presley routinely barricaded her dresser against her bedroom door. He could go from fetal position to fury. “I’m going to the river, and I won’t be back!” he would yell, grabbing a gun. “For the first two years of that,…
Children of Alcoholics Choose Alcohol Abusers as PartnersAlcoholismBy Promises Behavioral HealthJanuary 16, 2014Adult children of alcoholics are people who grew up in a household with at least one parent affected by alcoholism. A significant minority of all U.S. adults come from such a background. In a study published in January 2014 in the journal Addictive Behaviors, a team of American researchers assessed the chances that young adult…
Born to Drink: Alcoholism and GeneticsAlcoholismBy Promises Behavioral HealthDecember 30, 2013The links between alcoholism, genetics and family history are not easy to understand. What we know for sure, though, is that there is a connection. This does not mean that if you had an alcoholic parent, or if both of your parents suffered from alcoholism, that you are destined to become one as well. It…
Family History, Childhood Trauma Increase Suicide Risk for MenTrauma & PTSDBy Promises Behavioral HealthAugust 29, 2013Researchers and mental health professionals have known for a long time that men and boys have elevated chances of dying from suicide, even though they make suicide attempts far less often than women and girls. Researchers and doctors have also identified many of the risk factors that increase the likelihood of suicide. According to the…
