How To Help the Charlie Sheen in Your Life

PRLog (Press Release) - Apr. 5, 2011 - It's difficult not to be fascinated by Charlie Sheen's antics week after week. But for so many people it strikes a familiar cord. When you have a loved one struggling with addiction, and possibly a co-occurring mental disorder, you are left feeling fearful, confused, and hopeless. Because of the stigma that surrounds addiction, family members often keep the problems a secret.

Statistically, one in four people struggle with addiction. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, seven to ten million people in the United States have co-occurring mental and alcohol or drug use disorders. Illnesses that frequently co-occur with addiction include: depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, and schizophrenia. So what can families do the help the addict?

According to Lisa Espich, author of the award winning book "Soaring Above Co-Addiction: Helping your loved one get clean, while creating the life of your dreams", education is key. It's difficult to help another person if you don't understand the problem. This includes understanding what your role has been in enabling the addict. The reason that addiction is often called a family disease is that family members often take on their own unhealthy patterns.

Family members should seek support for their own physical and emotional health. While it's easy for the focus to revolve around the addict, the entire family should be working toward positive change, and learning to set healthy boundaries. When everyone in the family is working toward the same goal, it improves the odds of encouraging the addict to accept treatment. Espich also urges family members to intervene. Don't wait until it's too late. Most treatment programs can help in arranging a professional intervention.

Addiction is America's number one health crisis. It's time for families to shed the shame and reach out for help. Addicts are not bad or immorral, they are sick, and in many cases sufferring with mental disorders. We can only hope that public figures who are dealing with these issues, such as Charlie Sheen, will finally help to shine new light and understanding on this complicated disease. For more information on this topic, or for a list of addiction treatment resources visit http://www.soaringabovecoaddiction.com

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"Soaring Above Co-Addiction" is available at http://www.soaringabovecoaddiction.com, http://www.twinfeatherpublishing.com, amazon.com, and everywhere books are sold. Also available on Kindle and Nook.