I’ve had so many parents who are alcoholics or addicts themselves refer to their high schoolers’ drinking as “normal high school partying.”

I’m like, “Ummm… Dude, your kid’s 16. There’s nothing normal about her getting shit-faced!”

I’ve had many of you say the same kind of thing to me, “Everyone does it!” Well, everyone you surround yourself with, yes. Not everyone. The people who don’t engage in the things you do ran away from you and your gang in late middle school, when you started to go deep in these self-destructive patterns.

Go through the questions here. Answer them honestly. If you endorse a number of them, I suggest you attend an Alcoholics Anonymous open meeting. An open meeting is one that’s available to the public. At every meeting there is literature and experienced people who will be happy to answer your questions. Going to a meeting and getting your questions answered will not make you an alcoholic! Knowledge is power.

The best shot you’ve got to be well is to catch it early and learn to live differently now.

Download this week’s worksheet here.

Art by Janine Kuehn, worksheet by Jess Meoni.