Watching someone that you love fall prey to alcohol addiction is hard. At times, your friend or family member might not even act like themselves. They may lie about their drinking in an effort to cover up their problem, or they may even lash out at you and other people in their life when they are not in control over their behavior. Sadly, an addiction to alcohol can also lead to serious health and legal problems if it continues for too long. While you cannot change your loved one’s habits, you can offer them support that helps them to begin the process of getting sober. Figuring out how to deal with your friend or family member’s alcoholism begins by making the choice to talk to them about their options for treatment.
Alcoholism can sometimes be a challenging topic to cover with someone that you care about. There are several ways to approach talking to your loved one about their alcohol addiction. Some people find that hosting an intervention is easiest since it makes it possible to keep the pressure off of a single person. Your friend or family member might be more likely to listen to what everyone has to say when they see that their behaviors are affecting several people in their life. Seeing that everyone they love is working together on their behalf establishes a supportive atmosphere that most people come to appreciate once they get past the initial shock of being confronted about their alcoholism. You can also talk to your friend or family member privately if you are unsure of how they’d react to a group intervention or if you don’t know the other people in their life very well.
Help Them Find an Effective Alcohol Addiction Treatment Program
Your method for talking to your loved one may vary depending upon their personality and the other people that make up their support network. However, you’ll always want to be prepared to help them seek treatment right away if they agree that they need to get sober. Start by identifying a treatment program that your loved one can go to and find a few talking points that you can use to make it easier for them to decide to go. For instance, you can let them know if the program offers inpatient or outpatient care. You can also describe to them how the living arrangements work if they choose to go to an inpatient program. You’ll also want to prepare a list of any services that the program offers that pertains to your loved one’s situation. Sharing that they can get treatment for other underlying mental health conditions can increase your friend’s confidence in the program.
Once you’ve talked to your friend or family member about their need for treatment and their options, you’ll want to continue to provide them with support. Helping someone overcome their addiction is easier when you follow these tips.
•remain firm about the boundaries you create
•avoid giving them money unless it goes directly towards treatment
•choose not to drink around your newly sober friend or family member
•participate in family counseling if they offer it to you
•keep them busy with sober activities when they are home
Although you are not responsible for your friend or family member’s drinking habits, you can play a valuable supportive role in their sobriety. Try to remember that getting sober is hard work, and your friend will likely need to work through several different phases of treatment. They might require inpatient care to help them get through the first part of the withdrawal process. Then, they might transition to an outpatient program where they can receive group counseling that helps them to avoid a relapse. Staying flexible as your friend or family member goes through this process helps you to continue to strengthen your relationship. As a person in their support network, you will need to stay strong and make it clear that they cannot continue drinking alcohol if they want to be a part of your life. While the initial part of getting your friend help for their addiction is hard, the effort that you put into talking about their alcoholism pays off when you see them start recovering physically and mentally from drinking too much alcohol.
Dealing with your friend or family member’s alcoholism is emotionally challenging. The good news is that you don’t have to do this alone. Give our counselors a call today at 833-846-5669. We’ll help you find the best way to get your loved one into an effective treatment program that restores the beautiful parts of their personality that you see when they are sober.