I try to stay out of the house as much as I can because I hate being there. And I don’t want to bring my friends over because I know I’ll be embarrassed. Sometimes I think if things don’t get better, I might just leave home and never come back.” Sound familiar?
Alateen is for young people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking. The following questions may help you decide if Alateen is for you:
- Do you have a parent, close friend or relative whose drinking upsets you?
- Do you cover up your real feelings by pretending that you don’t care?
- Are holidays and gatherings spoiled because of drinking?
- Do you tell lies to cover up for someone else’s drinking or what’s happening in your home?
- Do you stay out of the house as much as possible because you hate it there?
- Are you afraid to upset someone or fear it will set off a drinking bout?
- Do you feel nobody really loves you or cares what happens to you?
- Are you afraid or embarrassed to bring your friends home?
- Do you think the drinker’s behavior is caused by you, other members of your family, friends, or rotten breaks in life?
- Do you make threats such as, “If you don’t stop drinking, fighting, I’ll run away?
- Do you make promises about behavior, such as, “I’ll get better school marks, go to church or keep my room clean” in exchange for a promise that the fighting and drinking will stop?
- Do you feel that if your mom or dad loved you, he or she would stop drinking?
- Do you ever threaten or actually hurt yourself to scare your parents into saying “I’m sorry,” or “I love you?”
- Do you believe no one could possibly understand how you feel?
- Do you have money problems because of someone else’s drinking?
- Are mealtimes frequently delayed because of the drinker?
- Have you considered calling the police because of the drinker’s abusive behavior?
- Have you refused dates out of fear or anxiety?
- Do you think your problems would be solved if the drinker stopped?
- Do you ever treat people (teachers, schoolmates, teammates, etc.) unjustly because you are angry at someone else for drinking too much?
If you have answered “Yes” to any of these questions, Alateen may be able to help.