Once your loved one has identified their potential triggers, learning how to avoid them is an important part of relapse prevention. AAC accepts many private insurance policies, as well as some Medicaid policies. You can verify your loved one’s insurance for addiction treatment, which, depending on their provider and specific plan details, may be fully covered by insurance. When someone spends a lot of time drinking (and recovering from drinking), quitting or cutting down can leave a huge hole in their lives.

• You just happen to love someone who is probably going to need professional treatment to get healthy again.
• Be genuine and honest about your concerns, including how their drinking is affecting their health and the family as a whole.
• A big part of the urge to drink are the thoughts we have about the urge.
• American Addiction Centers’ treatment programs offer family therapy to ensure that you have the option to be adequately involved in your loved one’s treatment and recovery.
• Alcohol use disorder, formerly known as alcoholism, is an addiction to alcohol.

Reiterate your concern

Below is a list of some of the providers who are typically involved in alcohol treatment and the type of care they may offer. When relapse happens, it’s important not to blame your loved one or get frustrated and angry with them. Instead, help them find the best treatment option for them so they can get back on track to long-term recovery. You may encourage them to call their sponsor, research other treatment options with them such as long-term treatment, or utilize another professional resource. Witnessing your loved one’s drinking and the deterioration of your relationship can trigger many distressing emotions, including shame, fear, anger, and self-blame. Your loved one’s addiction may even be so overwhelming that it seems easier to ignore it and pretend that nothing is wrong.

Books and Resources for Family Members

The groups for family and friends listed in the “Resources” section may be a good starting point. Just as some people with diabetes or asthma may have flare-ups of their disease, a return to drinking can be seen as a temporary setback to full recovery and not as a failure. Seeking professional help can prevent a return to drinking—behavioral therapies can help people develop skills to avoid and overcome triggers, such as stress, that might lead to drinking. Most people benefit from regular checkups with a treatment provider. Medications can also deter drinking during times when individuals may be at greater risk for a return to drinking (e.g., divorce, death of a family member). What kind of treatment does the program or provider offer?

Resources

• If they aren’t ready or are unwilling to seek help, consider the CRAFT method to learn more about how to care for yourself while encouraging them to seek treatment.
• AA meetings and similar groups allow your loved one to spend time with others facing the same problems.
• Certain traits, such as independence and perfectionism, can add to a person’s hesitancy or reticence to seek help, says Grawert.
• Al-Anon and Alateen – Support groups for friends and families of problem drinkers.

After drinking too much, a friend or loved one may experience a hangover. It is best to give them some time to rest and feel better before talking about their drinking issue. That said, they also may be more apt to see and apprehend the negative effects of their drinking in the immediate aftermath of a hangover.

• In this guide, we will walk you through the signs of alcohol addiction, the best way to approach the conversation and how to help an alcoholic friend during recovery.
• On one hand, having their loved ones express concern might be the wake-up call your friend needs.
• Intensive residential rehabilitation may require an additional assessment process to determine if there is funding for this.
• If a loved one in your life is struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, The Recovery Village is here to help.
• This is where making a plan and writing down your ideas can be helpful.

A number of health conditions can often go hand in hand with AUD. Common mental health conditions that co-occur with AUD are depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma- and stress-related disorders, other substance use disorders, and sleep disorders. Studies show that people who have AUD are more likely to suffer from major depression or anxiety over their lifetime. When addressing drinking problems, it’s important to also seek treatment for any accompanying medical and mental health issues. In these difficult times of the global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and high unemployment, many people are drinking more than they used to in an attempt to relieve stress. While it’s easy to understand, that doesn’t make it less of a concern.

• American Addiction Centers can help you and your loved one find the right rehab for your needs.
• When someone with alcohol dependency promises they will never drink again but a short time later are back to drinking as much as always, it is easy to take the broken promises and lies personally.
• Someone with alcoholism has both a physical and psychological dependence on alcohol.
• Best strategy for refusing a drink is to keep the refusal simple and direct, and to be prepared to state it a couple of times if needed.
• All you can do is encourage the person to recommit to overcoming their drinking problem and support them as they try again.
• 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.

Studies show that strong family support through family therapy increases the chances of maintaining abstinence (not drinking) compared with people going to individual counseling. 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.

Attend Al-Anon meetings — support groups for people who are worried about https://ecosoberhouse.com/ someone with a drinking problem — in your area, or join an online support group. If you know someone who has successfully quit drinking, ask them for advice. Your loved one will need to continue practicing sobriety, and the changes they go through will affect you in big and small ways.

How to talk to someone about their drinking

Maybe you have made excuses for them to their family or employer, thinking that you are saving them from embarrassment or preventing an even worse situation. But this only hides the consequences of their drinking and allows them to avoid facing the reality of the situation. This can be a tricky decision, depending on your relationship with your friend’s family. On one hand, having their loved ones express concern might be the wake-up call your friend needs. On the other hand, they may feel like you have betrayed them by going to their family first.

As a result, the person with a SUD doesn’t deal with the consequences of their actions. However, for someone with an alcohol dependence, that expectation may turn out to be unreasonable. If the person is incapable of even being honest with themselves, it may not be reasonable to expect support for those who struggling with alcohol addiction them to be honest with you. Protect your children, and don’t hesitate to keep them away from someone who drinks and does not respect your boundaries. Growing up in a home where alcohol use is common, can leave lasting scars. You do not have to put up with unacceptable behavior in your life.

Step 4: Approach and listen with honesty and compassion

In such cases it might behoove a person to engage in a structured and intentional effort to curb their drinking or perhaps even stop drinking altogether. Your partner may choose to attend some type of rehab center or employ some other therapeutic intervention for the treatment of their alcohol misuse issues at some point. If (or when) they do, you’ll want to know what options are out there for the treatment of AUDs and what to look for in a treatment provider. If you seem like you don’t understand what you’re talking about, it’ll be hard for your addicted loved one to take you seriously or take what you say to heart. To get through to a person with addiction, start by utilizing resources to educate yourself about what they may be going through.