Organizations 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. While you may not be able to make the decision for them or change the situation, sober house you can be supportive as this person struggles to stay sober or get sober. There are several ways to help and influence an alcoholic to get help and feel supported. A key element of helping an alcoholic is providing ample support.

• For this reason, it’s vital that you verbally show your support.
• Explain your concerns and make it clear that your worry comes from a place of love.
• One way to help an alcoholic friend is staging an intervention.
• Organizations 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.
• Standing by your friend or family member’s progress during and after treatment is important, too.

Your help prevents them from experiencing the real effects of alcoholism. Preventing consequences isn’t how to help an alcoholic. You can’t reason with alcoholism, and you can’t change it. As painful as it is, alcoholics can use the love you have for them against you. Problem drinkers are master manipulators, often seizing on the goodness and compassion of others for their own gain. There’s a lot of information out there on how to help an alcoholic get on the road to recovery.

How to Help an Alcoholic Stop Drinking: 10 Tips to Support a Loved One

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 to the alcoholic family member. Unfortunately, that person can undo all the other efforts everyone else is trying to make. Because as long as someone in active addiction has access to money, the motivation to quit just won’t be there. Al-Anon Family Group, a 12-Step program similar to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), is a great resource for those affected by the disease of alcoholism. When you attend open meetings of Al-Anon (they’re free), not only will you see that you’re not alone but you’ll also learn helpful and effective tools for dealing with another person’s addiction. Talk to your child about what’s going on in their life.

Usually, a person who is drinking heavily will feel a lot of shame and guilt around their habits, but will not be ready to admit it or give it up. You want to avoid sounding like you are preaching, threatening or demoralizing someone, as this will not be received well during an active alcohol addiction. It can be hard to understand why alcoholics can’t stop drinking without properly educating yourself on what alcohol addiction looks like. If your parent is struggling with alcoholism or other substance abuse issues, help is out there. It may be beneficial for you to seek help from a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker.

What If They Refuse Treatment?

If you don’t control codependency, it can lead into more serious complications such as obsessive behavior, blame, and mental health issues. When alcoholism affects a spouse or partner, it’s possible to become too wrapped up in their well-being. You may get to the point where you feel compelled to help your person get well. However, family members and friends often have deep emotional ties that prevent them from having the objective viewpoint necessary for treatment. Treating alcoholism isn’t easy, and it doesn’t always work the first time around. Often a person has been contemplating abstinence for some time, yet couldn’t get sober on their own.

When there is no improvement over time, then family members—it could be a wife, a father, a brother or children—realize that the problem is really alcohol addiction. Treatment for alcohol use disorder can vary, depending on your needs. Treatment may involve a brief intervention, individual or group counseling, an outpatient program, or a residential inpatient stay. Working to stop alcohol use to improve quality of life is the main treatment goal. At Renaissance Recovery our goal is to provide evidence-based treatment to as many individuals as possible. Give us a call today to verify your insurance coverage or to learn more about paying for addiction treatment.

Don’t Enable Their Behavior

Unfortunately, this usually results in leaving those family members feeling lonely and frustrated. We help loved ones recover together by providing family therapy and addiction education for loved ones. Call us today for a free insurance verification check and phone consultation. We’ll work together to get your loved one the help they need to take back their life. But the truth is, by bailing the alcoholic out of situations they’ve created for themselves, you pad the consequences of their drinking.

As much as you may want to, and as hard as it is to watch, you cannot make someone stop drinking. The path to sobriety is not always free of obstacles; relapse is a serious threat. If your loved one relapses, don’t blame, shame, or get angry; encourage your loved one to stop drinking and seek help as soon as possible. Aside from their professional treatment plan, your loved one will need support from you and their family to continue on the path to recovery.