Author: Alex Thompson
Helping Someone with a Drinking Problem
The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if you need help finding a mental health specialist. When is it common in society, it can be hard to tell the difference between someone who likes to have a few drinks now and then and someone with a real problem. Worrying and stressing about your loved one can take a toll on your mind and body, so find ways to relieve the pressure.
- Rather, it’s defined by how drinking affects your loved one’s life.
- Each drinking relapse is an opportunity to learn and recommit to sobriety, so you’ll be less likely to relapse in the future.
- Some people drink heavily all day, while others binge drink and then stay sober for a while.
- Reviewing the results, you may be surprised at your weekly drinking habits.
Someone who abuses alcohol will not magically become a different person once they’re sober. They’ll have to find new ways of living without alcohol and they’ll also have to tackle the problems that led to their alcohol abuse in the first place. But with your ongoing support and love, they can get there. Understanding the available treatment options—from behavioral therapies and medications to mutual-support groups—is the first step.
Medications also can help deter drinking during times when individuals may be at greater risk of a return to drinking (e.g., divorce, death of a family member). Several evidence-based treatment approaches are available for AUD. One size does not fit all and a treatment approach that may work for one person may not work for another. Treatment can be outpatient and/or inpatient and be provided by specialty programs, therapists, and health care providers. 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. You can’t monitor their behavior around the clock, make all their decisions for them, or allow their problems to take over your life.
In fact, there are a variety of treatment methods currently available, thanks to significant advances in the field over the past 60 years. Alcohol abuse and addiction doesn’t just affect the person drinking—it affects their families and loved ones, too. Watching a family member struggle with a drinking problem can be as heartbreakingly painful as it is frustrating. But while you can’t do the hard work of overcoming addiction for your loved one, your love and support can play a crucial part in their long-term recovery.
Setting Healthy Boundaries in Relationships
The symptoms listed above may be a sign of a severe form of alcohol withdrawal called delirium tremens, or DTs. This rare, emergency condition causes dangerous changes in the way your brain regulates your circulation and breathing, so it’s important to get to the hospital right away. Distance yourself from people who don’t support your efforts to stop drinking or respect the limits you’ve set. This may mean giving up certain friends and social connections. Unhealthy alcohol use includes any alcohol use that puts your health or safety at risk or causes other alcohol-related problems. It also includes binge drinking — a pattern of drinking where a male has five or more drinks within two hours or a female has at least four drinks within two hours.
When someone spends a lot of time drinking (and recovering from drinking), quitting or cutting down can leave a huge hole in their lives. Encourage your loved one to develop new hobbies and interests that don’t involve drinking. Caring for a person who has problems with alcohol can be very stressful. It is important that as you try to help your loved one, you find a way to take care of yourself as well. It may help to seek support from others, including friends, family, community, and support groups.
How to accomplish your goals
Some people drink heavily all day, while others binge drink and then stay sober for a while. Here’s some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your health care provider or mental health provider. Treatment for alcohol use disorder can vary, depending on your needs.
Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Approaching someone to discuss your concerns is different from an intervention. It involves planning, giving consequences, sharing, and presenting a treatment option. Realize that you can’t force someone who doesn’t want to go into treatment. Imagine yourself in the same situation and what your reaction might be.
Please donate today to help us save, support, and change lives. When you’re craving alcohol, there’s a tendency to remember the positive effects of drinking and forget the negatives. Remind yourself of the adverse long-term effects of heavy drinking and how it won’t really make you feel better, even in the short term.
Step 5: Offer your support
Your loved one resides at a special facility for 30 to 90 days and receives treatments such as detox, therapy, and medication. Of course, not everyone who drinks too much is an alcoholic. While it’s important to be open and honest about your concerns, you need to remember that you cannot force someone to stop abusing alcohol. As much as you may want to, and as hard as it is to watch, you cannot make someone stop drinking.
They are led by health professionals and supported by studies showing they can be beneficial. Many people with alcohol use disorder hesitate to get treatment because they don’t recognize that they have a problem. An intervention from loved ones can help some people recognize and accept that they need professional help. If you’re concerned about someone who drinks too much, ask a professional experienced in alcohol treatment for advice on how to approach that person.
What Increases the Risk for Alcohol Use Disorder?
Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking. You might not recognize how much you drink or how many problems in your life are related to alcohol use. Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help. Consider talking with someone who has had a problem with drinking but has stopped.
Residential treatment programs
Alcohol use disorder, or alcoholism, is more than just drinking too much from time to time. Sometimes alcohol as coping mechanism or social habit may look like alcoholism, but it’s not the same. People with alcohol use disorder don’t drink in moderation, even if they say they’re only having one drink. To learn more, read about alcoholism and its symptoms. 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.
Build a sober social network – If your previous social life revolved around alcohol, you may need to make some new connections. It’s important to have sober friends who will support your recovery. Try taking a class, joining a church or a civic group, volunteering, or attending events in your community. Whether you choose to tackle your alcohol addiction by going to rehab, getting therapy, or taking a self-directed treatment approach, support is essential. Recovering from alcohol addiction or abuse is much easier when you have people you can lean on for encouragement, comfort, and guidance. Write your drinking goal down and keep it where you will frequently see it, such as on your phone or taped to your refrigerator.