GET HELP...

Whenever someone talks about being affected with alcohol the topic of getting help normally arises. In cases where underage drinking and driving is involved, there are many topics of help to cover. These topics of help include getting help with an addiction, a friend or family member affected by alcohol, the loss of someone to an alcohol related incident, and causing the alcohol related incident.

WITH AN ADDICTION

We all know the old saying, "The first step to getting over an addiction is to admit you have an addiction." Although it may seem repetetive and old, it is true. Admitting to being an addict is the first step in the twelve step Alcoholics Anonymous program. Click here to view all of the twelve steps.

Attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are very good ways to get help with an alcohol addiction. To find an AA meeting near you, click here.

Speak with your parents about the subject and see what help they can get you. If your parents, for some reason, are irresponsible, seek advice from a trustworthy adult or mentor such as a teacher or a friend's parents.

WITH A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER

Talk with the person affected by alcohol and LISTEN. Listening is the key to helping people with their problems. By listening you can identify the main source of the problem that they don't notice. Use what you learned from listening by referring them appropriate help and guidance. When talking to someone affected by alcohol, don't be biased towards one side or another. Being tactful will help ease the conversation and keep it from turning negative. You never want to offend someone when they have a problem

If you aren't too close with that person, try to be. Get to know him/her better and spend more time together. It will create a feeling of trust between the you and the person. It will also create a sense of community so the person will feel less distant from people and pull them from depression if they are depressed.

If the person will not listen to what you have to say or doesn't want to accept reality, then it is time to call for an intervention. An intervention is an unexpected or expected meeting with an individual and people affected by his/her actions in an attempt to mediate a dispute. 1 For more information on interventions, click here.

WITH A LOSS

Dealing with a loss can be difficult, especially if it was caused by an alcohol related incident. In order to get over any type of situation, one must accept reality and identify that they did lose someone. It can be very difficult at first because our minds don't want us to believe that a 16 year old cousin died driving home drunk one night.

The Beatles once sang, "I get by with a little help from my friends." To help better deal with a loss, it is best to set up relationships with people who knew the deceased. This can create new friendships and help fill the voids in the hearts of those who lost a loved one.

There are plenty of support groups, places where people can go just to talk and vent out their feelings and frustrations, out there for people who don't have anyone close to talk to. To find some support groups in your area, click here.

WITH BEING THE OFFENDER

It is never easy being the main source of someone else's pain and agony. Like everyother help topic mentioned, accepting what you did and admitting that it was wrong should be the first thing you do.

Sometimes forgiveness from the people you hurt can help ease the stress off of your shoulders. Try to do something nice for them and possibly create a relationship.

If all else fails, support groups are always available. Check out the link in the previous topic for more information about support groups.