If You Loved Me, You'd Stop!: What You Really Need to Know When Your Loved One Drinks Too Much

If You Loved Me, You'd Stop! What You Really Need To Know When Your Loved One Drinks Too Much combines the most current brain research on alcoholism and alcohol abuse with Lisa Frederiksen's 40 years experience in dealing with these family problems. By explaining this research from the perspective of someone who has personally survived the ravages of a loved one's drinking, Ms. Frederiksen offers fresh hope for the more than 50 percent of Americans (and the one in four children) who have a family member with a drinking problem. Though it is a slim volume at 120 pages, this book nevertheless addresses a host of issues surrounding alcoholism and alcohol abuse, including co-addictions, DUIs (DWIs), underage drinking, dual diagnosis, codependency, and, importantly, the characteristics that distinguish alcoholism from alcohol abuse (excessive drinking). The book also contains numerous appendices containing references and suggestions for each issue addressed in the book. Frederiksen's book targets those who know their loved one drinks too much and believe that if they can just get them to stop, life will return to "normal." The target markets also include pediatricians, internists, domestic violence center employees and volunteers, mental health professionals, alcoholics, alcohol abusers, law and public policy makers, treatment center personnel, family law attorneys and child protective services personnel. As a reviewed author and nationally-recognized speaker, Ms. Frederiksen plans to use her influence to not only inspire individual readers, but also to change the national culture of denial that allows the problem of alcoholism and alcohol abuse to continue plaguing families. Just as new research and grassroots action made bike helmets, children's car seats, and no smoking signs commonplace, so too can attitudes and social assumptions about drinking be changed to create a healthier environment for everyone. To that end, Ms. Frederiksen has launched her website breakingthecycles.com to start a dialog to shift (and in cases simply start) the conversations around these important issues.