An Interview with Deborah Davis, Author of Not like You

In NOT LIKE YOU, teenager Kayla may not know what she wants to do with her life, but she certainly doesn't want to end up an alcoholic like her mother, Marilyn. She finds comfort in an older boy named Remy, dogs, and music.

If teen readers are in a similar situation, where can they find comfort and support?

Author Deborah Davis had this to say: I think Al-Anon and Alateen, along with the other 12-Step programs, are terrific. They're free, they're welcoming, and they can even be fun. Where else can you go to share your problems and not be judged? And to learn how to handle those problems simply by hearing people talk about their own, similar troubles?

There are teen support groups and hotlines in all big cities and in many smaller cities and towns too. You can find them in the Yellow Pages, through the Internet, or through a school counselor. Some groups and hotlines welcome both adults and teens. The best thing a teen can do -- even though it may feel like the hardest! -- when facing a difficult problem is to reach out to both stable friends and established support groups. I think a lot of teens -- and adults -- believe that if you don't talk about a problem, it will just go away on its own. Or if no one knows about it, it won't be so bad, or that talking about the problem will make it worse. Usually just the opposite is true. It's amazing what the act of asking for help can lead to -- often a much better outcome than you would have dreamed possible.

I also recommend that people ask for help in several different ways, from several sources. That way you can see which type of help feels best to you. Sometimes the first person or group you approach isn't the right one for you, so it's important to check out a few.

Okay, that was a mouthful, but I really believe it!

Would Kayla's life have been better if she had found and stayed with a stable foster family?