Parents Who Help Their Children Overcome Drugs

Developing her approach to substance-abusing children, the author, a specialist in youth affairs for Los Angeles County, asserts that ``recovery is the result of gradual but persistent attempts to change.'' The voices of parents, the troubled child, siblings and therapists are heard in case histories that represent a cross-section of families throughout the United States. More than a professional observer and reporter, Becnel contributes personal insights stemming from her own co-dependency relationships, first with her sister, a former cocaine addict, and then her son. Negatively enabling behavior is examined with compassion, an understanding of human frailty and an emphasis on the strength that parents and families have within themselves. A helpful state-by-state survey of treatment programs and support groups is appended. (May)