American families have been bombarded by a nearly unprecedented stream of bad news in recent months—from the turbulent stock marketto the upcoming high-stakes election, the mortgage and housing value crisis, healthcare and more.

We all know stress can take a toll on physical health, and while there has been extensive coverage in the media about the financial impact of the current crises, there is an equally distressing concern that has yet to be discussed: how elevated stress levels can be a powerful trigger for relapse among those who have struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. Even those who have successfully remained in recovery for years can be vulnerable.  What steps families and friends can take to help support our loved ones who may have struggled with addiction before through this difficult period?

• Remember family and friends play a very important role in getting help for those in trouble and supporting those in recovery.
• Be available—if you have a friend or family member you sense is in trouble or has struggled with substance abuse in the past, make the effort to reach out to them and express your support. Stay in touch so they know they’re not alone.
• Be aware–It’s important for family and friends to be aware and able to recognize the signs that something may be wrong so they can take action.
• Visit our intervention and treatment resources for more information or visit the new Life After blog on recovery.

It’s important to point out that I’m not taking about stress because you dinged the car, are late for a meeting or have a report due to your boss — rather events associated with major damage, loss of life or property, evaporation of life savings, job loss. Stress is also associated with initiation of alcohol or drug use—acutely stressful situations may prompt those who don’t usually drink or use drugs to do so. Here’s a few suggestions on how to make current stressful events a teachable moment to talk with your teens:

• Teens don’t always cope with stress in healthy ways—in fact, our national research study showed the number one reason teens use drugs is to deal with school stress
• It’s very important for parents, caregivers, teachers and other mentors to pay attention to kids’ stress levels, especially when many of the adults they look up to are feeling the heat
• We have a great tip-sheet on Time To Talk for parents who want to help their kids cope with stress in healthier ways. Here are two:

Discuss How You Deal With Pressure. Have frequent conversations, giving your child details from your own life like, “I’m really worried about getting this proposal in by tomorrow. Do you get anxious like that about school?” Or ask, “Are your friends nervous?” Then you can follow up with, “What about you? How are you dealing with it?”

Make time to connect.Schedule family dinners or get-togethers every week and set it in stone just like sports practice. Use the time to catch up on what’s going on in your kid’s life, including what’s not going well. Stressed kids may feel isolated, which can lead to experimentation with drugs and alcohol. Let them know you love them too much to see them risk getting hurt by experimenting or using.

What are you doing to cope with stress?

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  Posted by: Steve Pasierb