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PFSA to provide workbook to parents struggling with addiction

By Staff Writer

There were more than 1.7 million hospital visits related to drug abuse in the U.S. in 2006, according to the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). Substance abuse can tear families apart, but rehabilitation facilities can provide individuals with the resources they need to detoxify and get their lives back on track.

The Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA) recently made an effort to help these rehabilitation facilities aid addicts in their efforts to come clean. The group will begin offering a 34-page parenting workbook, titled "Recovering Families," to help parents struggling with chemical dependency in these programs. It includes stress management tips, child safety information and alternative forms of punishment.

"The stress and overwhelming demands of parenting can make parents in recovery vulnerable to relapse," said Beth Bitler, PFSA program director. "This workbook presents a curriculum that programs and agencies can use to help those parents maintain that balance, to stay sober and on the job as good parents."

There were more than 741,000 emergency room visits in 2006 as a result of the non-medical use of prescription drugs, according to DAWN. As substance abuse remains a growing concern, rehabilitation facilities are becoming go-to resources for addicts and their families.