Thinking about alcohol abuse this holiday season - dedicated post

'Tis the season for making merry, which often includes cheerful holiday cocktails and spirits. While there are lots of parties and good times, it can be a stressful time for many, bringing up difficult family issues and other feelings of distress.

Given the number of festivities, it's a time that many people notice their loved ones' drinking habits. You may even wonder if someone you know and love is a functioning alcoholic.

In fact 7.2% of adults 18+ have an alcohol use disorder, and 10% of kids live with an alcoholic parent, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. That statistic blew me away.

If alcohol is negatively impacting your loved one's life, maybe this is the holiday season to look into treatment options, and to approach him or her with your thoughts and support.

There are a lot of ways of getting help. About 8% of those in need get treatment for alcohol use disorders each year at a specialized facility (per NIAAA).


I decided to write this post after being contacted by Inspire Malibu. This is not the kind of post I typically write on Frisco Kids, but given the prevalence of alcohol disorders, and the havoc it can wreck on families, I made an exception.

Inspire Malibu is an alcohol and drug treatment clinic and in-patient living facility that was founded by Akikur Mohammad, MD. He's board certified in addiction medicine by the American Board of Addiction Medicine, and in psychiatry, by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He's also an adjunct clinical associate professor at Keck School of Medicine at USC. As a medical writer and former medical malpractice claims investigator, I think seriously about someone's medical credentials when treating a disease. Alcohol and drug abuse is a disease, and anyone being treated for them should be seeing someone qualified and certified.

Inspire Malibu is a California treatment facility that combines a medical clinic and residential living facility, with individualized treatment and programs. The center provides alcohol rehabilitation as well as drug addiction for cocaine and opiates. They offer a secular, clinical approach using behavioral therapy and evidence-based medicine. And they accept insurance.

The Inspire Malibu residential facility

If their program isn't right for your loved one, they can help you find one that is. I have no personal knowledge of their treatment nor am I an addiction specialist, so I can't vouch for it. But it's good to know some of the options available and to consider different treatment philosophies.

In my opinion, the best thing you can do for a loved one who is suffering from alcohol or drug addiction is to offer them your support in helping them get better. Think about that this holiday season.

This post is sponsored by Inspire Malibu. All writing and opinions are my own.