Surviving Family Gatherings When a Loved One Has a Substance Use Disorder
When a loved one has a substance use disorder, surviving family holidays can feel like just that, “surviving.” Author, speaker and radio host, Denise Krochta, has created a terrific tool to provide families with strategies and techniques to help them get through ANY family gathering. I contacted Denise to learn more and am sharing her responses below. Denise can be reached by phone at (442)333-9236 or email at denise@addictsfamilylifeline.com.
Why did you create Surviving Family Gatherings?
When I was trying to navigate through my son’s heroin addiction, as well as other relationships I had with others in my family and environment struggling with substance use disorders, I couldn’t breathe when I thought of family gatherings. I will always remember that feeling. Eventually I came up with a plan – namely planning ahead – for myself and my loved ones to help ease that anxiety and have turned that into Surviving Family Gatherings.
How does Surviving Family Gatherings work?
It works as a planning guide and includes an audio and written version of five interviews (explained next paragraph) and a workbook. In this manner, family members can think through their fears and design an effective plan that will allow to handle the situation should those fears materialize.
As for the interviews… I host the WebTalkRadio show, “Addicted to Addicts: Survival 101,” and have interviewed experts in all areas of the addiction and codependency fields over the past five years. For the Surviving Family Gatherings product, I’ve taken five of my guest interviews that deal with the myriad of family gathering issues that arise when a loved one has a substance use disorder and compiled them into one audio CD. I then transcribed them so a person using this product can listen or read the interviews. And lastly, I created a workbook of planning tips and strategies that worked for me navigating the family gathering landmines of my son’s heroin addiction, as well as those that have worked for others in similar situations.
Bottom line – when you plan ahead, you are not afraid all of the time. This workbook and accompanying audio program will allow you to organize your thoughts and environment in a simple way to achieve less stress and more joy during the holidays. It will help you to ease the anxiety, fear, panic, and overall sadness that is in our lives during the holidays and special events when we are trying to cope with the drama and chaos of addiction and alcoholism.
Lisa Frederiksen
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