One of the rewards of staying sober is to see your children emotionally mature and become healthy young adults instead of adolescents with a chip on their shoulder. Bullying, erratic behavior, out-of-control teenagers are often the product of an alcoholic environment with one or both parents addicted to alcohol and/or drugs. A word of warning to the still sick and suffering alcoholic who may be thinking of giving up alcohol for their children. When you decide that enough is enough, you need to give up alcoholic purely for yourself and not for the family. The problem with giving up alcohol for your family is that someone in the family will, at some time or other, disappoint, upset, or antagonize you and the first thing you will do is pick up a drink in retaliation with your sub-conscious screaming “see what you made me do!” I like this old verse about children and hope you enjoy reading it. If a child lives with criticism, it learns to condemn If a child lives with hostility, it learns to fight If a child lives with ridicule, it learns to be shy If a child lives with shame, it learns to be guilty If a child lives with tolerance, it learns to be patient If a child lives with encouragement, it learns confidence If a child lives with praise, it learns to appreciate If a child lives with fairness, it learns justice If a child lives with security, it learns to have faith If a child lives with approval, it learns to like itself If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, it learns to find love in the world. Naturally enough, families expect changes for the better when an alcoholic stops drinking. Sometimes things can get worse because the still sick and suffering alcoholic can put down the drink, but has difficulty living in reality with their source of comfort. Confusion, discouragement, bewilderment and resentment flourish in the face of this behavior and disastrous consequences may follow. The best thing for families to do is to ask for help from someone who specializes in alcohol dependency or attend Alanon or Alateen (on line) for children. The denial and lack of insight being displayed are usually too difficult to handle alone.  Families are often emotionally traumatized and when the alcoholic gets help, the family also needs to seek advice and support. If all of the above is a bit too close to home and you would like some help to de-stress and think about how you are going to get your partner to seek help, We suggest taking some Tyrosine Mood Food.  Tyrosine is necessary for the manufacture of dopamine and noradrenaline, which are required for concentration, alertness, memory and a happy, stable mood. Tyrosine is also needed for the production of enkephalins, which are substances that have pain relieving effects the body.  Tyrosine can also relieve emotional pain as we are often very sensitive people. Tyrosine is also required for the manufacture of thyroid hormone and the manufacture of adrenalin in the adrenal glands. Are you suffering from adrenal exhaustion? Magnesium Ultra Potent can be taken before bed to assist with a deep and restful sleep. Magnesium helps to reduce stress and is great in preventing muscle cramps. I used to get spasmodic muscle cramps at night until I started taking Magnesium – haven’t had any problems since.   The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.