Teen alcohol abuse

[28Birdwood]

I know of a young man who is struggling with alcohol. His actions caused a friend to drink drive him and he was caught by the police.
The boy with alcohol issues has a sister suffering drug induced psychosis, and a single mum who i believe is using alcohol to escape and is either unaware or condoning her sons excessive drinking.

The boy needs help, his family is in crisis. My question is, how does my son talk to him, to guide him towards professional help? I'm worried the boy will hurt himself, or someone else on the roads. My heart goes out to them because they are in crisis.

When he's not drinking he's a delightful young man, when he drinks he's aggressive from what im told.

[Jennifer-RO]

Hi @28Birdwood 

Welcome to the forums, we are so glad to have you here.

I would also like to really highlight the kindness that you have in being concerned for this young person and their wellbeing, especially considering their lack of family support.

How old is this young person?

It sounds like your son is someone that they listen to, and suggesting seeking mental health support would be a wonderful idea – addressing it at the right time and tactfully can be difficult depending on their relationship.

Are they connected through any school, education or groups?

It is also worth considering your son’s safety if this young person is aggressive when they drink. How comfortable does your son feel with the situation?

Thank you so much for sharing this, and we hope to hear from you.

[Taylor-RO]

Hi @28Birdwood, I wanted to chime in here and add some extra points in addition to what Jennifer mentioned. You have done the right thing in reaching out today. We hear your concerns for this young person and their family. 

If you feel concerned for the well-being of this young person and/or their sister, we encourage you to make a report to Child Protection. Before you make a report, you can talk about remaining anonymous to see if that is an option. Making a report can seem scary but often it allows the family to receive support and access to services. If you are ever worried about immediate harm occurring to anyone, regardless of age, we advise you to call 000. 

Considering the safety of your son around this other young person is important, as you mentioned they can be aggressive. If your son were to talk to them about getting professional support, would his safety be at risk and/or would he feel comfortable doing so? Depending on the answers to these questions, you could also offer some resources yourself. It is important to not be 'pushy' and to gently approach the situation. You can't force someone to seek support, all you can do is let them know what help is available and that you care and are there to support them if needed. Here are some alcohol related resources and mental health related resources. A good first step is talking to a GP - depending on eligiblity, they can create a mental health access plan which entitles an individual to receive medicare rebateable counselling sessions with a psychologist. Basically, reduced fee counselling sessions.

We hope this helps Please keep in touch.