It is pretty delicate and sometimes overwhelming to help someone solve the problem of alcohol abuse. You have to be careful that you are saying the right thing to not trigger them. When the person is a family member or loved one, it may be even more difficult as you become emotionally invested in the process. There may be moments when you feel scared and moments, when you feel helpless especially when you feel like all your efforts, are amounting to nothing.
Helping a person get through alcoholism is noble and fulfilling. You do not have to do it alone as you can always get professional help. You can contact Health Street for professional help and assistance. You must know that your health, both physical and mental comes first.
Here are some tips to guide you in helping a loved one get through alcoholism.
Do Not Enable Their Behaviors
While you may be empathetic about their situation, you must not enable them by letting them do what they want to do when they want to do it. If your alcoholic family member drinks so much that he passes out on the floor. Leave him to wake up to the consequences of his actions rather than move him to bed and clear his mess.
Often the things we do out of love may harm our loved ones. Do not indulge them in their drinking, do not sympathize with them, rather show them that you are upset with them so that they can contemplate and think about changing their ways.
Get Help from Professionals
The mistake many family members make is thinking that they can solve their loved one’s alcoholism problem by themselves. Perhaps it is due to the embarrassments that come with dealing with an alcoholic, but many families end up covering up for their relatives so that friends and neighbors don’t find out.
Truth is, it is not your responsibility to feel embarrassed on behalf of an adult. Covering up for them will only push them harder into their drinking habit as they do not get to feel the consequences of their actions. Your brother drank so much that he passed out outside. Leave him there so the neighbors can see him. Only then will he feel truly embarrassed. You can get professionals to help you through the process. They know how best to handle such situations better than you.
Healing is a Slow and Often Non-Linear Process
You should not have unrealistic expectations of healing and changed behavior from an alcoholic. Allow them to be fully immersed in the process, so that if/when they slip, they can quickly bounce back and resume their healing process.
Addiction is very difficult to overcome and if your loved one is willing to be helped out of addiction the best you can do is to offer support. Always let them know that they can be better by encouraging them.
