What Families are Dealing With

Two sets of hands holding a red heart

There is a high prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse in Native communities. Some Native Americans experience a feeling of enslavement to addictive behaviors that is compulsive comfort-seeking and avoidance behaviors that are seemingly impossible to resolve.

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How This Affects the Families I Work With

The families you work with may need:

  • additional supports to cope with stressors.
  • access to health practices/treatment.
  • encouragement to seek connection with others.
  • help in building on strengths and developing protective factors.

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What I Can Do to Build on Family Strengths

  • Remind the families you work with about the medicine wheel and how imbalance in one area has an effect on the whole being.
  • Surround the addicted person, physically and spiritually, with community.
  • Help find a culturally sensitive treatment program. The most powerful and useful remedies comes from within the cultural heart of tribal communities.
  • Encourage involvement in healing interventions that honor tribal culture, for example, sweat lodges, rituals, healing circles, pipe ceremonies, etc.