Dr. Lonise Bias lost her son Len Bias, two days after he was drafted to the Boston Celtics, to cocaine intoxication. In the interview above, Gardere and Bias provide advice to parents about how to talk to your children about drugs, especially athletes. Bias also gives words of encouragement to the Odom family.
OUESTIONS
My child is addicted to pain killers. How do I help while still managing the pain?
Very important that you get your child detoxed by a medical doctor as part of an in patient drug abuse program. As part of the program your child, will get therapy or behavioral management techniques to learn better ways to cope with stress and life in general, instead of using pain killers.
What are the signs of depression & could that lead to drug use?
Spending a lot of time in bed or being very lethargic Often angry, isolated, or hanging with the wrong friends Very sad Very oppositional to parents or anti social.
Dr. Jeff, I can drink everyday, but if I can stop on my own for 30 days is that considered being an alcoholic?
It all depends on how much you are drinking. Are you having more than one or two drinks a night? Do you bing on the weekends, that is considered part of a substance abuse problem. So if you cannot stop for 30 days, but are not overdoing it, maybe you have an alcohol problem, but not an addiction. An actual addiction requires tolerance (you need more of the substance to get the feeling you want) and or withdrawal issues( if you stop drinking, you get sick). But it sounds like you want to stop drinking, so get some help in doing it, join a support group, and bolster your efforts by getting healthy with the right food, exercise and stress reduction activities!
