Helping Troubled Families
by Charles M. Sell (Baker Books, 2002)
Helping Troubled Families is a comprehensive and thorough guide for pastors and counselors on dealing with alcoholics and addicts. Sells discusses not only the troubled person but how addictions and alcoholism affect the family as a whole and the other family members individually. He discusses at length many diagnostic issues relevant to anyone in a pastoral role who has a desire to reach out to alcoholics or addicts:
· what alcoholism and addiction look like in an individual and in a family;
· the different views on alcoholism/addiction as a disease, as a sin, and as simply a bad habit;
· process addictions, in which people are “addicted” to gambling, love, sex, money, work, etc.;
· children and spouses in dysfunctional families; and
· adult children of dysfunctional families.
Sells goes on to discuss the remedy for alcoholism and addiction. He recognizes the popularity and effectiveness of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous but also discusses the claim of some Christians that the 12 steps are not compatible with, and even hostile towards, the Christian message of salvation in Jesus Christ. As an evangelical Christian, Sells encourages his readers to be careful in recommending AA or a 12 Step process, and he covers many other areas of concern concerning recovery and renewal for alcoholics and addicts:
· the process of change in the troubled individual;
· the best way for spouses and children to deal with their own pain and to help their recovering spouse/parent;
· the recovery process for adult children of dysfunctional families; and
· how churches can be actively involved in reaching out to dysfunctional families, especially those struggling with alcoholism or addiction.
Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?
Helping Troubled Families discusses carefully and compassionately some of the most sensitive and difficult issues relevant to alcoholism and addiction treatment. Sells is strongly evangelical in his beliefs and recommendations but his attitude is strongly empathetic and compassionate. This book is most valuable for pastors or counselors seeking to help alcoholics, addicts, or other dysfunctional people, but it good also be helpful to anyone with an alcoholic or addict in their family or an alcoholic or addict themselves. 
