Do You Have a Drinking Problem? Talk To the Kids’ Doc.

If your kid’s doctor asked you how much you drink would you tell her? According to a new study, most parents would. What’s more, they’d be more likely to tell a paediatrician if they feel they’ve got a problem.

The study in this month’s issue of the Journal of Pediatrics shows three quarters of parents with an admitted alcohol abuse problem said they would be willing to answer questions and take guidance from their child’s doctors. The same goes for three quarters of parents who reported they don’t have any substance abuse issues - they’re willing to let the paediatrician ask the questions.

Alcohol abuse is rarely a personal problem. Although you might be the only one drinking your liver into a pickled state, the affects extend to the children who watch you pass out night after night on the couch and the spouse who watches a chunk of the household funds being drank away. I can certainly see how it would qualify as a family health issue.

But there are parents who say they’re afraid their pediatrician wouldn’t be able to discern the difference between a social or occasional drink and alcoholism. To them I say: why do you have your child being evaluated by this person? If they don’t have the acumen to tell the difference, perhaps they’re overstepping their bounds with your child’s diagnoses as well.

Then again, what’s that AA saying? “Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery?” If you can’t do it for your kids, who will you do it for?

Image: DeClubz