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17-07-2015 09:25 PM
17-07-2015 09:25 PM
Topic Tuesday / *CLOSED* / Caring for someone who struggles with drugs or alcohol
Topic Tuesday - Tonight @ 7pm AEST
Many of us are carers for a loved one who struggles with drugs or alcohol. Topic Tuesday will look at the tricky situations carers can find themselves in.
- How do you address the elephant in the room?
- How do you approach difficult conversations?
- How can you be supportive, but not an enabler?
If you have the answers to these questions, or searching for advice and answers - join us at 7pm AEST .
To help us answer these tricky questions we are joined by David from ARAMI -
ARAFMI is a peak body that advocates for carers of people with a mental illness, and David has been working there for 3 years, providing support to people who care for someone with a mental illness.
Welcome David - did you want to tell us a bit about yourself before we kick off?
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21-07-2015 07:04 PM
21-07-2015 07:04 PM
Re: Topic Tuesday / 21 July, 7pm AEST / Caring for someone who struggles with drugs or alcohol
Hi everyone,
I'm David. I work at Mental Health Carers ARAFMI NSW.
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21-07-2015 07:05 PM
21-07-2015 07:05 PM
Re: Topic Tuesday / *NOW OPEN* / Caring for someone who struggles with drugs or alcohol
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21-07-2015 07:08 PM
21-07-2015 07:08 PM
Re: Topic Tuesday / 21 July, 7pm AEST / Caring for someone who struggles with drugs or alcohol
Thanks David. Some people may "recognise" David (aka @Hobbit ) as he's been a moderator on the Forums before aswell 🙂
Also a big welcome to everyone who has joined us tonight. Please feel free to ask questions as we go. We will be talking about different strategies throughout the night and would love to hear your experiences and any additional tips you may have through that experience.
So it can be really daunting approaching a loved one who you feel is struggling with drugs or alcohol - David, do you have any tips on how someone can start a conversation with their loved one and address 'the elephant in the room' so to speak?
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21-07-2015 07:09 PM
21-07-2015 07:09 PM
Re: Topic Tuesday / 21 July, 7pm AEST / Caring for someone who struggles with drugs or alcohol
Thanks David.
My daughter is 20 and has BDP and aspergers and relies on Alcohol to calm the painful chaos in her head, every single evening. If she controls the amount she drinks, she drinks way way too much. So we have an agreement that we control the amount she drinks (with the goal being her quitting) and give it to her like medication each evening.
We HATE it. We feel like enablers and wish there was another way. I am interested in your thoughts on this.
Cheers.
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21-07-2015 07:10 PM
21-07-2015 07:10 PM
Re: Topic Tuesday / *NOW OPEN* / Caring for someone who struggles with drugs or alcohol
I hope some of the things we talk about tonight help. Please feel free to jump in and ask questions as we go.
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21-07-2015 07:11 PM
21-07-2015 07:11 PM
Re: Topic Tuesday / 21 July, 7pm AEST / Caring for someone who struggles with drugs or alcohol
Thanks for the opportunity to ask a question. Sometimes people who suffer anxiety and depression will go off their meds and try to manage with a bit of alcohol to take the edge off. Do you have any advice regarding this. Alcohol can be seen as more socially acceptable and if there is not an excessive consumption is it a problem?
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21-07-2015 07:12 PM
21-07-2015 07:12 PM
Re: Topic Tuesday / *NOW OPEN* / Caring for someone who struggles with drugs or alcohol
does not communicate. Sometimes I am tempted to have his Centrelink pension quarantined but this would remove any form of autonomy he has and control of his own life. Somewhat of a dilemma.
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21-07-2015 07:13 PM
21-07-2015 07:13 PM
Re: Topic Tuesday / *NOW OPEN* / Caring for someone who struggles with drugs or alcohol
I hope I can take some helpful advice from tonight.
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21-07-2015 07:14 PM
21-07-2015 07:14 PM
Re: Topic Tuesday / 21 July, 7pm AEST / Caring for someone who struggles with drugs or alcohol
Your feeling of being an enabler is very common.
We will be touching on this very soon - so stay tuned - you have come to the right place!!