Effective Ways to Help an Alcoholic
Watching a friend, partner, or family member struggle with alcoholism can take a heavy toll on you. You may feel frustrated, worried, and helpless, especially when you don’t know where to start.
The most common worry for many, is how to approach your alcoholic loved one and encourage them to seek treatment. But the hard truth is that the decision to get professional help should come from them. This is the most difficult, but crucial first step towards their recovery.
This can be a hard pill to swallow, especially if you only want your loved ones to be better. However, you can still help them proactively to take that first huge step.
Read on below to know the effective ways you can help an alcoholic loved one.
When is it Time to Say something?
It’s challenging to identify if someone needs alcohol addiction treatment. Many people drink alcohol in unhealthy amounts, but they don’t necessarily need help. And many alcoholics are in denial that they have alcohol addiction so it can be tricky.
If you think your loved one may have alcohol use disorder (AUD), here are some of the most common signs to look out for:
- Day drinking constantly
- Only going out if there’s alcohol involved
- Only hanging out with drinking buddies and neglecting other friends
- Aren’t always sober when you see them
- Regularly asking for alcohol when you see them
- Lack of interest with hobbies they previously enjoy
- They’re more anxious or depressed
- Isolating themselves and resorting to alcohol
- Frequent mood changes, anger, and exhaustion
- Neglecting personal hygiene
Remember, the best time to say something to your loved one about their alcoholism is always ASAP. Especially when multiple signs pop up, and it’s holding them back from living a full and healthy life.
Talk to them with compassion and avoid shaming them for their alcoholism. Once they know you care enough to be honest with them, they might be convinced to seek professional advice and treatment.
Talking to someone who needs help with alcoholism
Talking to an alcoholic loved one about their addiction problem can be very difficult. It’s a heavy and almost taboo topic that demands a lot of compassion and patience. If you don’t know where to start, here are some crucial tips to keep in mind:- Pick the right moment – pick a time when your loved one is sober and not hungover, this way they can be more open to listening. However, it’s important that you should speak with compassion and not use a judgmental tone. This may be hard to do especially if you’re relationship has been strained because of their alcoholism.But remember, it’s not helpful to approach them with accusations and anger or they’ll only just close up. The goal is to help them see that they need treatment, and reassure them that you will still be there with open arms to help them. Not to judge them nor shame them.
- Listen – a conversation is a two-way street, which means you also have to listen to them. Don’t expect to just say your piece and it’s done. The key here is to wait for them to open up about their struggles. Most alcoholics are going through something very emotional which is why they resort to drinking. They may have financial problems, relationship issues, or other stressors and only want to numb themselves from it. Listen with an open heart, and understand where they are coming from. The important thing is that they feel understood and not alone. This way, it’s much easier to help them seek treatment.
- Assess the treatment options together – the first step is always for them to decide that they want help. Once this is done, you can point them to the right direction.You can read assess options together, look for local AA support groups, or look through our extensive resources on addiction rehab. You’ll be directed to multiple alcohol rehab centers that meet your specific needs.
- Be patient but persistent – most alcoholics are in denial of their alcohol addiction, which is why it’s vital for you to extend them the grace and patience. Show concern not judgement, show empathy not shame, show your care not your disapproval.Don’t give up on them even if they become defensive. This way they are more encouraged to open up about their struggles and seek the help that they need.
Can you Help an Alcoholic Who is not Ready for Treatment?
You cannot force an alcoholic get treatment if they are not ready. The decision to get help and heal must first and foremost come from them. Even so, your support through encouragement and constant care can immensely help them realise what they need.
The key is to be patient but persistent in talking, listening, and encouraging to them. Alcohol addiction like other addictions can be very hard not just for your loved one for you as well. It may take some time, but through your unerring care and efforts they will soon be ready to get help for their alcoholism.
Self-Care When Supporting an Alcoholic
The number one thing to remember when you want to help an alcoholic is to also look out for yourself. Helping them demands time, patience, and resilience. This means that you also need to prioritise your well-being.
When you decide to help them, the first thing you can do is learn and read up on alcohol addiction (like what you’re doing now reading this page!). This way, you can understand them better and know the signs.
You can also get in touch with an Al-Anon, which is a support group specifically for loved ones of people suffering from alcohol addiction. This way, you can feel heard and understood by the same people who also have your experience.
Another way is to get mental health counselling for yourself. Especially that this can also take an emotional toll on you. Lastly, take care of your physical health.
Supporting an alcoholic can feel like an uphill battle, but if you take care of yourself, you can also take care of your alcoholic loved one better. Of course, if you can no longer handle it, you might eventually decide to leave. Alcohol changes even the best person you know, and they need help. So if you do decide to leave, please try to also leave the door open for them
How to Help an Alcoholic Who is Resistant to Help
It’s even more difficult when you’re trying to help an alcoholic who don’t seem to welcome your help. In this case, what you can do is an alcohol intervention.
This is when you ask for family and friends to set a meeting with the alcoholic and collectively talk about their concern and encourage treatment. This might be tricky since the person can feel as if their loved ones are “ganging up” against them. However, an alcohol intervention can be very effective when set up appropriately. If you don’t know how, you can reach out to our professionals so that they can manage it for you
Fast Access to Residential Treatment
We are currently able to offer fast access to private inpatient treatment.
Please call us today and speak to one of our expert advisors.
Call today in confidence: 0800 0148 970
Supporting an Alcoholic Through Treatment and Recovery
Helping an alcoholic partner, friend, parent, or family member through their recovery can be extremely tough. But your full support and reassurance can make a huge difference in their recovery.
The best way to show your support is letting them know that you’ll be there for them at every stage. Alcohol addiction treatment can feel lonely for them, but you can always make them
feel your support.The key is to remember to take care of yourself as well, reassure them of your support, and also respect their privacy if they wish to have some alone time to focus on their treatment and recovery.
5 ways to help while your loved one is in treatment:
- Visit them regularly if the rehab center allows, and if not regularly call or text them. Treatment can feel very isolating, and it’s crucial that they feel their loved ones still care and support them. This can also help them feel motivated towards their recovery journey.
- Give them assurance that things will be taken care of while they are away for treatment. The number one goal is to help them feel less worried about the outside world so they can spend all of their energy in getting better.
- Remove potential triggers from your home once they go back. It can be a difficult transition for them after getting out of rehab, so it’s vital that there are no alcohol, meds, and other potential triggers in sight.
- Take care of your well-being while they’re in treatment. Join an Al-Anon group, get counselling, or dedicate time for self-care. Living with an alcoholic or helping an alcoholic can be damaging, and you also need to recover from the invisible wounds alcoholism have inflicted on you.
- Join family therapy if possible. Some rehab centers offer this as well and this can be a really good way to recover from the past hurts and damages that alcohol addiction have inflicted on your family as a whole.
FREE Alcohol Addiction Assessment
If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol addiction, we understand the challenges you’re facing and we’re here to offer compassionate help.
Our highly trained advisers are available to speak to you right away, simply call 0808 252 3379 today.
We can discuss your concerns in complete confidence, explore the options for treatment, and help you to understand what will work best for you.
We’ll also help you to book your free alcohol addiction assessment there and then, with appointments usually available within only a few days.
We understand that taking the first step can be the most difficult, but we’re here to support – with no pressure or judgement.
Professional and compassionate help is just a phone call or click away.
