How to Deal With an Alcoholic: Dos, Dont’s, Coping

Still, it is important to remember that you are in control and have options on how to handle the situation. Any form of enabling is only supporting them in unhealthy ways. Understand that recovery is a journey and not necessarily a one-time goal. Talk therapy (or play therapy for younger children) can also help you all work through the challenges AUD can present to a household. When someone with AUD lives in your household, the rest of your family members can be at risk for negative effects. Some of the most common risks are the damage to your emotional and mental well-being.

When you’re ready to seek help, or if you have questions about how to live with an alcoholic, we’re here for you.Contact ustoday to learn more about our treatment options. If the consequences of high-functioning alcoholism have become overwhelming, and your loved onerefuses to seek help for alcohol abuse, it could be time to plan an intervention. An intervention is a planned meeting in which the concerned parties confront the alcoholic about their behavior. Alcoholism affects everyone in a household— not just the individual who drinks. Alcohol abuse increases the risk of physical and emotional violence, as well as substance abuse in other family members.

Health Challenges

From advice on staging an intervention to comprehensive alcohol addiction treatment programmes, Recovery Lighthouse can provide everything you and your loved one need. Remember that your support can be the most powerful weapon in the battle against alcohol addiction. With you by their side, your loved one can put alcohol addiction behind them and begin a new sober life. This is when close friends and family come together to express their concerns in a structured and supportive way.

1. Like AA, Al-Anon is a mutual-help group for the loved ones of those who struggle with alcohol misuse.
2. Often a person has been contemplating abstinence for some time, yet couldn’t get sober on their own.
3. Attending meetings, which are held all over the world, allow you to share your experience with others and find strength and hope from them and their experiences.

If you’re the partner of someone with AUD, you might feel isolated — or tempted to isolate out of embarrassment or shame. Experiencing domestic violence, emotional abuse, or other hurtful actions like infidelity can further push partners to withdraw from family and friends. AUD is a chronic (long-term) but treatable condition with available treatment options. Regardless of where the person with AUD is in their recovery or addiction, it’s important for loved ones to consider getting support for themselves.

Lifestyle Quizzes

When someone gets too drunk or hungover to fulfill their basic responsibilities in life, they often rely on those around them to get the job done. And all too often, their friends and family pick up the slack. Caring about someone with an alcohol addiction can lead to worry and sleepless nights. You might spend a lot of time thinking about your actions as it relates to their addiction, says Dr. Anand.

How to Help and Alcoholic Spouse: Treatment Options

And above all else, take steps to keep you and the rest of your household safe and healthy. If a parent has AUD, a child may experience excessive stress because they don’t know what mood their parent will be in from day to day. Children may no longer be able to rely on the adult with AUD, which can place undue pressures on them. They might also be at risk for other forms of physical and emotional violence.

Before you realize it, you can find yourself in a full-blown abusive relationship. You just happen to love someone who is probably going to need professional treatment to get healthy again. If your loved one has become addicted to alcohol, however, their brain chemistry may have changed to the point that they are completely surprised by some of the choices they make. If your loved one is truly dependent on Short & Long-Term Effects of Heroin Use alcohol, they are going to drink no matter what you do or say. Some people can have alcohol use disorder and experience very few if any of these things. Other people have several of these symptoms but do not have a problem with alcohol.

There are support groups for people whose friends or family live with an alcohol use disorder, and individual therapy helps develop and promote coping skills for handling an alcoholic family member. Countless individuals and families have successfully overcome the challenges of living with an alcoholic, and you can, too. Take positive action today by exploring the support and treatment options available to you.For professional guidance and treatment, consider reaching out to Boca Recovery Center. Our team of certified professionals offers comprehensive services to help individuals and families navigate the path to recovery. Visit our website to learn more and take the first step towards a healthier, happier future. Consciously or unconsciously, the codependent may help the alcoholic to continue drinking to maintain the status quo.