SAMRA

But sometimes the best resource for the still-drinking alcoholic is a sober person from their own life. An old drinking buddy who found recovery or a sober aunt or uncle they admire and respect can sometimes accomplish in an hour what you’ve been trying to do for years. Lean on those in your life who understand the disease of alcoholism and seek their guidance.

Expose your teen to healthy hobbies and activities, such as team sports, Scouts, and after-school clubs to discourage alcohol use. Consider staging a family meeting or an intervention if you’d rather not go it alone. Again, everyone needs to come from a place of caring, rather than see this as an opportunity to bully, accuse, or vent their anger at the person with the drinking problem. Use alcohol to self-medicate a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder.

Don’t offer an ultimatum.

The most important thing about setting boundaries is keeping them. If you set a boundary and then let them get away with breaking it “just this once,” you send the message that you will bend on any of the boundaries. That’s why your loved one may act out of character and do things they normally wouldn’t. When people have uncontrolled and problematic drinking, they may have a health condition called alcohol use disorder . Many rehab programs emphasize the importance of an established routine to avoid relapse, and your loved one may need help keeping the routine going. Encourage your loved one to eat healthy, exercise regularly, and enjoy hobbies and activities that they enjoy.

As a result, your loved one may lose their job or be disciplined due to their alcohol use. Worrying and stressing about your loved one can take a toll on your mind and body, so find ways to relieve the pressure. Eating right, exercising regularly, and sleeping well can all help to keep stress in check.

After you discuss your loved one’s addiction, the interventionist can paint a clear picture of what drug and alcohol treatment is like. Your loved one may have many misperceptions about what happens during drug and alcohol detox and in an addiction recovery program. The interventionist will debunk any myths and address their hesitations about addiction treatment. Should your addicted loved one agree to treatment, the interventionist can provide recommendations for substance abuse treatment centers. It’s a good idea to speak with a few addiction treatment centers ahead of time, so you can get your loved one there immediately should they agree to go. When an addict refuses treatment, an addiction intervention can be the wake-up call they need.

Remember, it may take a few conversations before they decide to seek help. AUD is a difficult condition, and it can be hard to watch your alcohol withdrawal loved one suffer through an addiction. However, enabling an alcohol addiction can prevent your loved one from seeking treatment.

Tips to Help an Alcoholic Family Member or Friend

Be prepared to get your loved one into an evaluation to start treatment immediately if he or she agrees to the plan. Have calm, rational responses prepared for each reason your loved one may give to avoid treatment or responsibility for behavior. Offer effective treatments for alcohol use disorders support that makes it easier to engage in treatment, such as arranging child care or attending counseling sessions with your loved one. Research your loved one’s addiction or substance abuse issue so that you have a good understanding of it.

It also covers how to start the conversation and how to avoid enabling their drinking. Unfortunately, not all interventions are successful. In some cases, your loved one with an addiction may refuse the treatment plan. He or she may erupt in alcohol, headaches and hangovers anger or insist that help is not needed or may be resentful and accuse you of betrayal or being a hypocrite. Veering from the plan can quickly derail an intervention, prevent a helpful outcome for your loved one and worsen family tensions.

• By learning more about alcohol use disorder, you can gain greater insight into the factors that play a role in your loved one’s drinking.
• Have a confidential, completely free conversation with a treatment provider about your financial options.
• If you’re exploring how to help an alcoholic stop drinking, the following methods may help bring light to your loved one’s drinking or drug problem.
• There is little you can do to change addictive behavior without professional intervention.

An intervention team usually includes four to six people who are important in the life of your loved one — people he or she loves, likes, respects or depends on. This may include, for example, a best friend, adult relatives or a member of your loved one’s faith. Your intervention professional can help you determine appropriate members of your team. Without revealing the reason, your loved one with the addiction is asked to the intervention site. Members of the team then take turns expressing their concerns and feelings. Your loved one is presented with a treatment option and asked to accept that option on the spot.

Getting Help for an Alcoholic Spouse at Renaissance Recovery

Be prepared to remain calm in the face of your loved one’s accusations, hurt or anger, which is often meant to deflect or derail the conversation. Make sure each team member has the same information about your loved one’s addiction and the intervention so that everyone is on the same page. Hold meetings or conference calls to share updates and agree to present a united team. An evaluation by an addiction professional helps determine the extent of the problem and identifies appropriate treatment options.

Choose the right time and place to have the conversation. Make sure your person is sober and, preferably, not in crisis at the moment. If the person does have an alcohol problem, the best thing you can do is be open and honest with them. Hoping the person will get better on their own won’t change the situation.

Seek Help from Healthcare Professionals

If you recognize the warning signs that your loved one has a problem with alcohol, the first step to helping them is to learn all you can about addiction and alcohol abuse. The emotional impact of helping a loved one stay sober can take a toll. Seek help from a therapist or a counselor if you feel stressed or depressed. You can also participate in a program that’s designed for the friends and family members of alcoholics, such as Al-Anon. Before you do anything, it’s important to know whether your friend or loved one has an alcohol addiction. Alcohol use disorder, or alcoholism, is more than just drinking too much from time to time.

We may receive advertising fees if you follow links to promoted online therapy websites. The neurobiology of substance use, misuse, and addiction. Enabling occurs when someone else covers up or makes excuses for the person who has a SUD.

A Word From Verywell

Learn how to help an alcoholic that doesn’t want help. Help your loved one plan how they’re going to avoid triggers to drink, deal with alcohol cravings, and cope in social situations where there’s pressure to drink. All you can do is encourage the person to recommit to overcoming their drinking problem and support them as they try again.

Your loved one may longer engage in the hobby they’d cultivated for years, or they might stay away from friends, family, and social gatherings. Alcohol dependence can result in serious life consequences, such as health problems, legal issues, or difficulty with work or school. Seeking treatment for AUD in its early stages can help your loved one avoid these impacts later in life. While individuals will experience AUD in different ways, certain symptoms are more common than others. Alcohol also impairs a person’s judgement skills, and can lead to relationship problems, issues at work or school, accidents, legal issues, and an increased risk for suicide.

Sobriety and recovery will seem a lot less daunting if they have a starting point. Be ready to direct them to a treatment program you think may be a good fit or to online resources. There is a wealth of information about recovery, and it can be overwhelming to decide where to start in the early stages of sobriety. If you can make that task a little more manageable, your loved one is more likely to take advantage of the work you’ve put into their well-being. Before seriously confronting someone about their drug or alcohol use, spend some time thinking about the reasons you have for being concerned.