When a person you love has a drinking problem, you may not know how to help them stop. Unfortunately, watching a friend, a family member, or a coworker struggle with alcoholism can be very painful. Any form of addiction affects an individual and their loved ones. The dynamic of their family, physical and mental health, finances, and stability are all affected negatively.

Alcoholism makes a home environment unpredictable, tense, and uncomfortable. A family can deny the behavior of the member with a drinking problem and try to make excuses. It can also try to stop or control the drinking problem. These are common approaches that the families of people struggling with alcoholism consider.

How to Get a Loved One Stop Drinking

A major challenge that many people face when trying to help a loved one stop drinking is convincing them that they should seek help with alcoholism. Some people call alcohol helpline from Addictionresource.com to seek advice and information on alcoholism. Helpline numbers are manned by professionals that understand the challenges faced by individuals with a drinking problem and their loved ones. As such, they provide relevant and valuable information on the available treatment options as well as the best ways to deal with the crisis.

In some cases, a person can continue drinking even when their habit is causing obvious problems in their life. Social, legal, and personal problems can make a person conclude that they need to quit drinking. Unfortunately, an alcoholic person can’t always a reason that way. It’s crucial to understand that the inability to think that way doesn’t mean a loved one is weak. It’s only that alcohol has changed how their brain works. A person with a drinking problem is physiologically and psychologically addicted to alcohol. As such, they need professional help to deal with their drinking problem.

The main challenge is that most alcoholics deny that their drinking is a problem. Research has shown that denial can be a barrier when it comes to fighting alcoholism. Though the drinking problem might seem obvious to you, the alcohol-dependent individual can deny it loudly. Instead, they can blame the people or circumstances around them for their troubles.

Although you may want to make a call to an alcoholic hotline seeking assistance, you might not do much until your loved one admits that their drinking is a problem. But, this doesn’t mean you just sit back as your loved one self-destructs with alcohol. You just can’t pray and hope for something to happen and make them want to change. There are things you can do to help a loved one fight their drinking problem. For instance, you can show support and concern and tell them how drinking is affecting them. You can also offer solutions and ideas.

Learn about Alcoholism

Alcohol dependence is a disease that family members should learn about before they start helping their loved one fight a drinking problem. When you learn about alcohol dependence, you understand the behavior of the drinking family member better. You stop blaming them for not quitting when the effects of alcohol on their health, life and those around them are obvious.

Although the drinker should take responsibility for what they do, it’s important to understand that alcoholism is a disease. Symptoms of this disease are understood and there are life circumstances and genes that trigger it. Additionally, getting informed about alcohol dependence will make you see the person with a drinking problem as a suffering patient. As such, you won’t assume that they just want to hurt themselves and their loved ones.

There are many online resources that you can use to learn about alcoholism. In addition to calling an alcoholism hotline number, you can join online support groups to learn about alcohol dependence. Use these resources to learn how alcoholism affects a person psychologically and emotionally.

Confront Your Loved One

Alcohol dependence is a sensitive subject. Therefore, plan how you will confront your loved one once you decide to help them fight their drinking problem. Talk about the problem when the person is emotionally stable and sober. Ensure that everybody around you is calm so that the person with the drinking problem doesn’t feel like you ganged up against them. Don’t use accusatory language when confronting the person you want to help.

Be honest and genuine when expressing your concerns. Show the person that you care about them and you are worried about the effects of their drinking on their health, life, and family. For instance, you can highlight the relationship or financial troubles arising from their drinking. Tell your loved one that you want to help and support them when undergoing treatment. You can even call an alcohol addiction hotline number to inquire about treatment options if they accept to get assistance.

If your loved one is in the denial stage, expect them to push you back. They can even argue that they can stop drinking without your help.

Seek Intervention

If you don’t succeed in your first attempt, seek intervention. You can talk to a professional therapist or counselor. Schedule an appointment with them and your loved one. If the person with a drinking problem refuses to accompany you for the appointment, go alone or with somebody else. This will enable you to come up with an intervention strategy.

An intervention should include friends or family members that the person you want to help trusts. The professional you seek help from might advise you to stop picking up personal or financial messes of the drinker. You may also be advised to take away their rights to visit children or seek spousal separation. An alcoholic might not quit drinking if you always help them deal with the consequences and risks of alcoholism.

Avoid Codependency

If all measures fail to work, offer support, present options, and follow through with consequences. If you focus on the behavior and actions of the drinker too much and become obsessively worried, you develop co-dependence. You stop focusing on your life and become obsessively worried about the behavior and actions of the drinker. Co-dependency can affect your emotional and mental health negatively. A good way to avoid it is to stop focusing on the drinker too much. Instead, focus on yourself because the only person you can change is you.

The Bottom Line

Helping a loved one fight a drinking problem is not just about calling an alcohol abuse hotline. It’s about being committed to helping and supporting them through their journey to recovery and expecting pushbacks along the way.