What to Do When Someone You Love Has a Drinking Problem

Are they stressed, bored, lonely, or anxious, for example? Many different factors could be contributing to their drinking, but to stay sober your loved one will need to address any underlying causes. In just about every case of active alcoholism we see, there’s at least one family member or friend who continues to provide financial support.

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 moderate, heavy, binge should they agree to go. When an addict refuses treatment, an addiction intervention can be the wake-up call they need. Drug and alcohol interventions involve gathering important people in your loved one’s life to express concern about their substance abuse.

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They know if Aunt Sally is loaded and can’t help herself. Yeah, that’s probably going straight into the cash register at the local liquor store. So when it comes to dealing with alcoholism, the actions we have to take feel counterintuitive.

We are passionate about helping adult men and women who struggle with alcohol abuse disorders and co-occurring mental illnesses find hope and healing. We provide individuals with skills and healthy coping strategies to transition from a life in active addiction to a healthy, vibrant life in recovery. Once you’re certain you have pinpointed the most helpful people in this situation, make an agreement to talk to your loved one together, as a group. It’s usually best to invite the friends, family members, and other supportive people who can be calm under intense, emotional conversations. As much as you love the person with the drinking problem and as upsetting as it can be to watch them struggle with their addiction, there’s only so much you can do.

Google “Alcoholics Anonymous + your city” to find their contact information. That’s where you’ll also find a list of local meetings. 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. A family member or friend proposes an intervention and forms a planning group.

This is a key factor, not just for the alcoholic themselves, but for friends and family who wish to help the alcoholic regain control of their lives. You can also find groups of folks who are in the same situation as you are. Organizations can i drink alcohol during pregnancy like Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, and Alateen have networks all over the country and online to support those dealing with a loved one’s heavy drinking. You’ve called or thought about calling the police because of your loved one’s drinking.

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Regularly neglect their responsibilities at home, work, or school because they’re drinking or recovering from drinking. If you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, think about seeking professional help for yourself. Offer to drive the person to and from these meetings. Point the person toward helpful resources and tools, such as those found at Rethinking Drinking. Over the past year, I’ve been putting into actin what Discovery Place taught me, and I have experienced a complete perspective change of the world, and the people in it. I get to be a man of service and love today, and for that I am grateful to Discovery Place.

Taking care of your emotional and mental health can help you better help them. How to Help Someone Who Drinks Too Much – Confronting and assisting a friend or family member who’s abusing alcohol. As a parent or guardian, it’s normal to feel scared, angry, or confused if you discover your child is drinking. But it’s important to remember that you still have a major impact on the choices that your child makes, especially during their preteen and early teen years.

Alateen is a similar support group specifically for teens who have a family member abusing alcohol. Attending a 12-step program or other support group is one of the most common treatment options for alcohol abuse and addiction. AA meetings and similar groups allow your loved one to spend time with others facing the same problems.

How to Help an Alcoholic Friend or Family Member: 15 Useful Tips

Offer to help out with work, childcare, and household tasks if they get in the way of treatment sessions. Find out as much as you can about the effects of alcohol and the signs of misuse to help you understand your loved one’s behavior. Attend Al-Anon meetings — support groups for people who are worried about someone with a drinking problem — in your area, or join an online support group. If you know someone who has successfully quit drinking, ask them for advice. Ask a trusted addiction professional, doctor or mental health professional about the best treatment approach for your loved one and recommendations about programs.

• A medical professional can tell them whether their drug or alcohol use qualifies as a substance use disorder diagnosis.
• Think about how it is affecting your friend as well as others.
• Over the past year, I’ve been putting into actin what Discovery Place taught me, and I have experienced a complete perspective change of the world, and the people in it.
• Your loved one’s addiction may even be so overwhelming that it seems easier to ignore it and pretend that nothing is wrong.
• Tell them if they don’t think they have a problem, what’s the harm in talking to someone?

Discovery Place and the men who work there made recovery attractive, and more importantly, fun. I am forever grateful for my time at Discovery Place. I have remained sober and it is because of DP. I keep everyone there in my prayers, and I encourage everyone there to take what they are practicing and do it in their lives, after. A common myth, even among those in recovery, is that someone has to want to get help (treatment/rehab) for the help to work.

They’ll assess their physical health and talk to them about the long-term effects of their drug and alcohol abuse. They can speak in clear terms about what’s considered normal and problem drinking and risk factors that come with it. A medical professional can tell them whether their drug or alcohol use qualifies as a substance use disorder diagnosis. 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.

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A successful intervention must be planned carefully to work as intended. A poorly planned intervention can worsen the situation — your loved one may feel nutritional therapy for alcohol use disorder attacked and become isolated or more resistant to treatment. The planning group forms a team that will personally participate in the intervention.

Resentment, fear, anger, jealousy, denial, dishonesty, and codependency—these are just a few of the hallmarks of alcoholism. Get equipped with the tools you need to protect yourself from someone’s alcoholism. Yes, alcohol has been documented to worsen snoring, especially in those with sleep apnea. Don’t provide financial support unless the money is going directly to treatment. Approaching someone to discuss your concerns is different from an intervention.

Offer options

If you steal money, you will pay it back and you must find somewhere else to live. I will not pay for or help with phone bills, car payments, gas, etc. if you’re using drugs and alcohol. If you use alcohol and drugs in my home, you will need to find somewhere else to live.

Consuming alcohol to cope with stress, deal with difficulties, or to avoid feeling bad, may be a sign that your loved one’s drinking has become a problem. You want so much for your addicted loved one to get better. You miss the person they were before alcohol or drug addiction took over. You’d probably do just about anything to change things for them.

You’ll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP’s mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Experts offer some suggestions on how to approach someone with your concerns and persuade them to get the help they need.

Here, you can decide who will speak when, sitting arrangements and other details, so there’s no fumbling during the real intervention with your loved one. Having one point of contact for all team members will help you communicate and stay on track. It also may be appropriate to ask your loved one to seek support from a group such as Alcoholics Anonymous. If the program requires travel, make arrangements ahead of time — consider having a packed suitcase ready for your loved one. Find out if your insurance plan will cover the treatment you’re considering.

Emotionally prepare yourself for these situations, while remaining hopeful for positive change. If your loved one doesn’t accept treatment, be prepared to follow through with the changes you presented. 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 anger or insist that help is not needed or may be resentful and accuse you of betrayal or being a hypocrite. 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.