Early treatment and intervention can help people with alcohol use disorder. While https://ecosoberhouse.com/ it’s up to the person to willingly start their sobriety journey, you can also help. Read on for some steps you can take to help your friend, family member, or loved one. Primary care and mental health providers can provide treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD).
How to Help an AlcoholicHelping Someone with a Drinking Problem
- We’ll show you how to search trusted directories to find some that meet your needs.
- You may be worried that if you bring up your concerns the person will get angry, defensive, lash out, or simply deny that they have a problem.
- Alcohols are some of the most common organic compounds in nature.
- But prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to chronic (long-term) pancreatitis, which can be severe.
It’s common for people to require treatment more than once to finally achieve sobriety. That means you’ll need plenty of patience when supporting your loved one’s recovery. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone in your struggle. Alcoholism and alcohol abuse affects millions of people, from every social class, race, background, and culture. While you can’t do the hard work of overcoming addiction for your loved one, your patience, love, and support can play a crucial part in their long-term recovery.
How alcohol abuse affects family and friends
However, if your AUD is mild and you’re confident you could stay sober between rehab sessions, outpatient rehab might be an options for you. The NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator® cannot ensure that the search process will deliver higher-quality treatment providers in your vicinity who are using evidence-based approaches. In addition, the search tools on the Navigator may not capture every possible higher-quality treatment provider in your vicinity. For any addiction therapist you are considering, be sure to ask the 10 recommended questions, and use the answers to check for five signs of higher-quality care.
Setting Healthy Boundaries in Relationships
Talking to your loved one, who engages in unhealthy or hazardous drinking can be extremely effective and constructive if done tactfully, with compassion, and with the proper tools. After expressing the way you feel in a conversation with your loved one, they may be open to receiving professional treatment for their substance use issues. Before sitting down to talk with them (when they’re sober and have time to talk) about your concerns; however, it is helpful to research possible treatment options. Gather resources from doctors, counselors, inpatient alcohol rehab, and outpatient centers. If you have gone through withdrawal, your brain is ready for a fresh start. A proven way to avoid the cycle of alcohol withdrawal and relapse is to start treatment for alcoholism.
- When you speak to your friend, it is important to be prepared with information about treatment options.
- To get answers to your questions and learn more about treatment, contact a treatment providertoday.
- Eventually, you can develop permanent and irreversible scarring in your liver, which is called cirrhosis.
- For this reason, outpatient rehab is not ideal for people who have severe/heavy alcohol addictions.
- In fact, almost half of all recovering alcoholics who stay sober for one year will drink again, but there is hope even for someone who relapses.
Three modern alternatives for “lower intensity” outpatient care
The evidence for moderate alcohol use in healthy adults is still being studied. But good evidence shows that drinking high amounts of alcohol are clearly linked to health problems. If your drinking is medicinal, it’s time to look for safer, more effective ways to cope. Here are some steps alcohol addiction help to take if you’d like to shift your alcohol use.