How to help someone who is addicted to alcohol

Helping an addict requires you to have the most emotional balance, which is difficult to break, because such a problem of a loved one affects you directly.

The first step to being helpful is to keep your balance and not take responsibility for healing the person. Of course, from the standpoint of a witness to vice, you can watch the drinking routine, glass by glass, or you can watch the effects of drunkenness and feel hopeless or helpless because you can't get rid of these habits.

Addiction psychiatrist Dr. Ahil Anand of the Cleveland Clinic advises you not to blame yourself for what you can't do about that person's addiction: is responsible for what someone else is doing, so it is not normal for you to bear this burden,” says Dr. Anand.

Being around someone who is addicted to alcohol can bring a lot of stress into your life. Many emotions such as disappointment, sadness, bitterness and anxiety can affect the quality of your life.

At no point in your relationship with an alcoholic should you forget to take care of yourself. That's why it's so important when you're overwhelmed by potentially dangerous feelings and conditions to talk to loved ones, find online support groups, and call addiction specialists or doctors. These people can explain to you in detail and from different points of view what addiction means and what your role can be in this sad context if you decide to stay with an addict.

Don't fuel her addiction by taking responsibility

When someone drinks too much and often suffers from a hangover, they rely on their loved ones to decide what, due to addiction and the symptoms that accompany drunkenness, they are no longer able to do. Many of the addicts' loved ones are doing the daily chores that need to be done for them. “This is not help, but behavior that sends the wrong signal, because drug addicts no longer have the opportunity to feel and see the consequences of alcohol addiction,” explains Dr. Anand.

The specialist urges not to correct and not to collect traces of drunkenness, but to allow the addict to face their consequences: boxes and bottles are scattered on the floor, the one who made them must deal with all this. “It is not your job to erase the traces of addictive behavior so that the person avoids any embarrassment,” says Dr. Anand.

Do not discuss what is important to you

It's natural to want someone you care about to stop drinking. So if an addict is trying to negotiate with you about drinking alcohol, saying, for example, that the change will happen from tomorrow, and today you need to find an understanding of the addiction that he is showing, you should not fall into the trap. . What you need to look for is concrete evidence that the person is taking action and taking concrete steps towards healing.

Set realistic expectations

If someone close to you is taking steps towards rehab, that's a good reason to be happy, but you should be aware that addictions have a high relapse rate and are common among those who are not seeking addiction treatment but are trying to find a way out. get rid of the addiction yourself. Experts say that addictions are brain disorders, so they are not so easily solved, and vulnerable people can return to old habits, even if they do not want it and are actively fighting addiction.

“It may take 10 or more treatment attempts before someone makes progress in overcoming addiction,” says Dr. Anand.

Give unconditional love

No one can overcome addiction. But a good way to succeed is to remind yourself that you are dealing with a person's illness, and that illness is testing your patience and your feelings, not the person you love.

For addicts, as for any sick person, it is important to receive unconditional love and be close to them, but not forgetting about yourself. If the situation calls for it, protect yourself and don't expose yourself to violence.

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Statistics show that a drunk person is 5 times more likely to be violent than a teetotaler.