Upcoming Seminar: Living Life with a Loved One Who is Using Drugs or Alcohol

Posted By: HR avatar

Published to Newsletter on Oct 17, 2024

It can be very challenging when someone we love is using alcohol or drugs. We can feel out of control and very frustrated. Sometimes, ways we have tried to help have not worked as well as we had hoped. There are some skills and tools that can help such as: positive communication, positive reinforcement for desired behavior, and allowing natural consequences while considering safety. Some examples of these skills are listed below:

Positive Communication

  • “I really enjoy spending time with you when you haven’t been drinking, can we plan to go for a walk on Saturday morning? If you have been drinking or are hung over, I will not go with you”.

Positive Reinforcement

  • “I really enjoyed spending time with you during our walk on Saturday and hope we can do more things together while you are not drinking”.

Natural Consequences

  • Not cleaning up after the person when they make a mess at home, dent the car, or get in trouble at work/school for absences or tardiness.

These skills are part of therapeutic approach called CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training). In our upcoming seminar, we will learn new skills and have time for discussion.

I will present these skills in more detail in a two-hour seminar Thursday, November 7 from 10 a.m. to noon via zoom. Please email cars@unm.edu to register. Please send your name and email address.

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