Taking care of your own mental and emotional health not only helps you cope, it also puts you in a better position to support your sister throughout her recovery journey. After completing a formal treatment program, your sister may engage in several rehab aftercare activities to provide the ongoing support she needs to maintain recovery. Alcohol addiction treatment often begins with medical detox and continues through structured care and ongoing support.8
Helping Someone with a Drinking Problem
Validate their feelings, even when you don’t fully understand. Avoid negative comments about their drinking habits. If you are trying to help a friend struggling with alcohol, you should not say anything that shames, criticizes, or pressures them.
Certain medications have been shown to effectively help people stop or reduce their drinking and avoid a return to drinking. Couples and family counseling incorporates spouses and other family members in the treatment process half life of soma and can play an important role in repairing and improving family relationships. Motivational enhancement is conducted over a short period of time to build and strengthen motivation to change drinking behavior. Professionally led treatments include behavioral treatments and medications.
More on Substance Abuse and Addiction
There may be very little you can do to help someone with AUD until they are ready to get help, but you can stop letting someone’s drinking problem dominate your thoughts and your life. The group can give you a place to get social support and encouragement from others going through a similar situation. However, it’s important to make sure you’re getting the support you need as well. It is only when they experience their own pain that they will feel a need to change. The focus then becomes what you did (moved them) rather than what they did (drinking so much that they passed out outside).
- Find addiction treatment facilities that take insurance, inpatient rehabs, outpatient rehab programs, and more.
- You can help them explore different treatment programs or local rehab centers.
- Learn as much as you can about alcohol use disorders; doing so will help you understand the disease of addiction, not take things personally, and help you make good choices when taking care of yourself or your loved one.5,6
- Learn how families can stay informed, connected, and empowered throughout treatment.Have questions about recovery or admissions?
- The counselor provides information about the individual’s drinking pattern and potential risks.
- It also provides coping skills to prevent relapse and promote a healthy relationship.
- Trying to communicate with someone who is unable to speak or think clearly is a waste of time.
They may need to adjust their treatment or add new supports like sober living or additional therapy. Sometimes interventions, when done with care, can help open the door to change. Instead of arguing, try focusing on how their drinking is affecting their life, health, or relationships. Certain people, places, or situations can trigger the urge to drink, especially in the early stages of recovery. What matters most is that they feel seen and supported, not micromanaged or judged.
Forget the myth and answer nature’s call when your bladder feels full An enzyme deficiency or rosacea are potential causes of alcohol flush ‘Blackout rage gallons’ can lead to dangerous levels of alcohol consumption Your does aetna drug test tolerance decreases with age, thanks to body changes, health conditions and medications you may take Be there for them as much as you can — but make sure you take care of yourself, too.”
How To Talk To Someone About Their Drinking
Some people with an AUD may challenge you to provide examples of how their alcoholism affects or concerns you. It is best to talk about how their alcoholism makes you feel. Most people with an addiction already feel judged by others. Fortunately, it is very easy to obtain facts about alcoholism and the different types of alcoholics.
- Support ResourceDescriptionAlcoholics Anonymous® (AA)A mutual aid fellowship that offers peer support for individuals looking to quit or reduce drinking.Other 12-Step ProgramsSimilar to AA, these programs provide a structured approach to recovery through shared experiences.
- Every person and every situation is unique, so there is no universal method of how to deal with an alcoholic.
- One of the leading causes of alcohol abuse in adults is work-related stress.
- Someone with AUD typically doesn’t want anyone to know the level of their alcohol consumption because if someone found out the full extent of the problem, they might try to help.
- To learn how to take care of yourself when you’re trying to help the alcoholic in your life, keep reading.Did this summary help you?
- Keep in mind that someone with alcohol dependence usually goes through a few stages before they are ready to make a change.
- You are giving him or her the chance to mull over the problem and feel motivated to quit alcohol.
If things come to such a passé, don’t hesitate to call a professional interventionist. An addict might want to wiggle out of the discussion by (falsely) promising that he or she will give up alcohol. Nor will the person be able to figure out what is right for him or her. Don’t take the moral high ground and make him or her feel like a loser.
Refine Recovery is where clinical excellence meets concierge-level service, supporting clients across the country with the highest standard of care. The information provided by Addiction Center is not a substitute for professional treatment advice. Addiction Center does not endorse any treatment facility or guarantee the quality of care provided, or the results to be achieved, by any treatment facility. Addiction Center is not a medical provider or treatment facility and does not provide medical advice. Find rehab for yourself or a loved one by speaking with a treatment provider.
Eric Patterson is a licensed professional counselor in the Pittsburgh area who is dedicated to helping children, adults, and families meet their treatment goals. The moment it seems like you no longer care about a loved one’s recovery, they will pick up on it. Continued support is vital for continued recovery. This usually also means educating yourself on their addiction andgetting support for yourselfas an impacted loved one. Show them that you are proud of them and will support them throughout their journey, including getting treatment or attending meetings and support groups.
However, denial is one sign that a person struggles with AUD or problem drinking, so he may refuse help, deny that he has a problem, become angry, or lie about the problem. Learning what to look for in someone who is struggling with alcohol use disorder can be helpful in making this determination. This page will offer insight into what to do if your boyfriend is experiencing alcohol misuse or addiction. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that in 2023, nearly 29 million Americans ages 12 and older had an alcohol use disorder.1 Supporting someone with alcohol addiction can take a toll. You can still offer emotional support through regular check-ins, help research treatment or virtual support groups, or connect them with local resources.
Seeking Professional Support
Disagree with their drinking by avoiding events that involve alcohol or do not help them while they are trying to hide the effects of their drinking. Show that you want them to improve by offering to help them with things like attending appointments and studying treatment options. Acknowledging what they say and how they feel shows that you care and are listening.
Just like any other medical condition, people with substance use disorders deserve to have a range of treatment options available to them. Studies show that strong family support through family therapy increases the chances of maintaining abstinence (not drinking) compared with people going to individual counseling. Also known as “alcohol counseling,” behavioral treatments involve working with a health care provider to identify and help change the behaviors that when to stop helping someone lead to alcohol problems. Combined with treatment led by health care providers, mutual-support groups can offer a valuable added layer of support. They are led by health care providers and supported by studies showing that these treatments can be beneficial.
An alcoholic spends money and upsets the domestic budget, and you have to worry about making ends meet. Living with an alcoholic can be immensely stressful for you. This is NOT one of the ways to find help for alcoholics.
Professional Resources
“Let them know that you care,” says Dr. Anand. It can test your patience and shatter your feelings. Coping with someone addicted to alcohol isn’t easy. “It’s best to know that going in,” says Dr. Anand, “because it’s very hard to watch it happen.” An addiction is a brain disorder, after all, and not something that’s easily resolved.
If your friend is using alcohol to get through a tough time, consider spending time with them. Tell them how you feel about their drinking in an honest and sincere way. Spend your free time doing activities that don’t involve drinking. Talking to a friend about their alcohol problem can be challenging since your relationship is different from their family. These groups help partners struggling with alcohol and drug addiction.
Their drinking isn’t your fault. Don’t let negative feelings get to you. Encourage their hobbies and healthy friendships. Confronting someone about their heavy drinking can be hard on you, too.
Helping them build a solid relapse prevention plan is one of the most important steps in supporting their long-term recovery. That’s why it’s important to find your own support system. You may feel overwhelmed, scared, or unsure how to help without losing yourself in the process.
Alcohol addiction, clinically referred to as alcohol use disorder (AUD), is a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to control alcohol use despite the negative consequences.1 AUD can range from mild to severe and often develops over time. By focusing on boundaries, education, and professional help, friends and family can effectively support their loved one on the path to healing from alcohol addiction. Knowledge about the nature of addiction, its signs, and the various treatment options can empower friends and family members in their supportive role. Focus on comprehensive programs that include therapy, counseling, medical treatment, and aftercare support. Educate yourself about alcoholism by exploring reliable resources such as medical websites, books written by addiction experts, and reputable organizations dedicated to addiction recovery.
Creating a bottom line can often be the catalyst for getting your loved one to enter treatment. When this happens, you must be prepared to set specific boundaries that are healthy for you and them. Physically, people who drink often have bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, a lack of coordination, poor judgment, and inappropriate behaviors.