Alcohol dependency is a disease that is challenging not only for the dependent person but also for their loved ones.
Often, they have no idea what they should do. As a result, they often helplessly watch as their loved one – whether it's a partner, sibling, child, or friend – struggles with their demons.
They get up and fall again. Over and over in a continuous cycle.
Are you wondering what you can do for him/her? In today's article, we'll summarize ten most important pieces of advice on how to help an alcoholic.
1. Talk to each other
Have you noticed that your
loved one has started drinking more often than before, or is hiding the bottles
and sipping them in secret? It's high time to talk about it. Say what you've
noticed and you're worried about it.
The conversation should not
come off as one long monologue full of regrets and rebukes. Of course, point
out that you don't like the current situation at all, but also show that you
are there for the other and are ready to support him/her. Leave him/her also a space to
express how long he/she has been drinking and what the drinking brings to him/her.
Alternatively, ask if anything in his/her life has happened, or has changed.
2. Don’t wait!
Surely don't expect the
drinking to go away on its own or to get better by time. It is very unlikely to
improve. Inside out. Capturing alcoholism early on is very important.
Addiction
is a disease that tends to get worse with time. Don't be appeased by the person
telling you that he's/she's completely in control, and that he/she certainly doesn't have
a problem!
3. Find out more about addictions
So you already know. You have
an alcoholic in your family. What now? How to treat an alcoholic? What can I
do, what I can't? What should I prepare myself for? There's probably a lot of
questions going through your head. We're not surprised, your loved one is
changing before your eyes and for a while he seems to have everything under
control, sometimes you feel he's/she's completely helpless. You believe the promises
he/she makes and then deal with the bitter disappointment when he/she drinks again. Try
to find out more about alcohol dependence (alcoholism) - how treatment is done,
what recurrence and relapses are and how addiction works at all. It'll help you
understand the other person better, get into what he's/she's probably going through
right now, and you'll be able to prepare for all kinds of scenarios.
4. Head him/her for treatment
Alcoholism is a disease that
belongs in the hands of experts, so it won't be possible at home. So you should
direct your loved one to treatment, which most often takes the form of
so-called community healing.
Talk to a psychologist about it and learn more.
5. Support during treatment
During treatment, be
supportive, appreciate even small steps forward. The treatment is very
difficult for alcoholics, they have different thoughts and it helps them know
that there is someone out there waiting for them who believes they can do it.
6. Ease temptation
One shot, or even the taste of a non-alcoholic beer, can relaunch an addict's entire roundabout before treatment. If you really want to help him/her, temper the temptation in the form of alcohol, be sure not to offer him/her alcohol or make light of the situation.
7. Appreciate
abstinence
It may seem as simple as a slap
in the face - all he/she has to do is not drink. But as we mentioned in the last
point - it is a daily struggle and overcoming for an alcoholic. A conflict with
yourself and also with impulses from the
surroundings. So remember to appreciate his/her sobriety.
8. Set the rules
Whether before or after treatment, set clear
rules and boundaries regarding alcohol. And be sure to keep them. Dependents
often have a problem with compliance with borders, and allowing them to break
the rules does not help them, rather the opposite.
9. Don't take responsibility
People who have an alcoholic in their family
often tend to deal with everything instead of him/her, when he/she causes trouble, they
solve it quickly instead of him/her. As cruel as it may sound, an alcoholic needs
to experience the real effects of his/her drinking, only to realize that drinking is really out of control.
10. Think also about yourself
Living with an alcoholic is challenging, and so it is often not only alcoholics who need help, but also their closest ones. In order to be a dependent supporter, you also need to think about your own mental health. Standing by an alcoholic can be extremely exhausting, and you are certainly experiencing a lot of your challenging situations and worries in life.
You've just read an article: 10 tips on how to help an alcoholic.
Enter your comment.