ABSTRACT
In the face of the experiences described in the previous chapter – the stresses and strains of living with a deteriorating close relationship with a relative who is using alcohol or drugs excessively, and the accompanying uncertainty and worry for that relative, for oneself, for other members of the family and for the home itself – family members searched for ways of responding. There was a perceived need to act, to do something. This chapter is about that search for what to do. It is about finding ways of coping. Sometimes it is about family members feeling they had been successful and done the right thing. More often it is about dilemmas, compromises, frustrations and feeling helpless.
