Coping Tips
Conflict And Substance Abuse
Disagreement is common in families where there is drug and alcohol for various reasons:
- The drug user's agenda is often very different to other family members
- Family members have different ideas to drug users on how to spend money – drugs vs other essentials
- Established patterns of conflict are often stressful, frustrating and non-productive
We get many telephone calls regarding parents 'waiting up' to confront a drug or alcohol user who has been out getting high. It may be better to wait and address the issue later. It is never a good idea to deal with things:
- When the person is "hanging out' for drugs
- When the person is intoxicated
- When the person is 'coming down' from drugs
You might think this leaves very little time to do it but the best outcomes come when you pick the right time.