This can be a challenge. An alcoholic can't be forced to get help
except under certain circumstances, such as a violent incident that
results in court-ordered treatment or medical emergency. But you don't
have to wait for someone to "hit rock bottom" to act. Many
alcoholism treatment specialists suggest the following steps to help
an alcoholic get treatment:
Family members often make excuses
to others or try to protect the alcoholic from the results of his
or her drinking. It is important to stop covering for the alcoholic
so that he or she experiences the full consequences of drinking.
The best time to talk to the drinker is
shortly after an alcohol-related problem has occurred--like a serious
family argument or an accident. Choose a time when he or she is
sober, both of you are fairly calm, and you have a chance to talk
in private.
Tell the family member that you are worried about
his or her drinking. Use examples of the ways in which the drinking
has caused problems, including the most recent incident.
Explain to the drinker what you will do if he
or she doesn't go for help--not to punish the drinker, but to protect
yourself from his or her problems. What you say may range from refusing
to go with the person to any social activity where alcohol will
be served, to moving out of the house. Do not make any threats you
are not prepared to carry out.
Gather information in advance about treatment options
in your community. If the person is willing to get help, call immediately
for an appointment with a treatment counselor. Offer to go with
the family member on the first visit to a treatment program and/or
an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
If the family member still refuses to get help,
ask a friend to talk with him or her using the steps just described.
A friend who is a recovering alcoholic may be particularly persuasive,
but any person who is caring and nonjudgmental may help. The intervention
of more than one person, more than one time, is often necessary
to coax an alcoholic to seek help.
With the help of a health care professional,
some families join with other relatives and friends to confront
an alcoholic as a group. This approach should only be tried under
the guidance of a health care professional who is experienced in
this kind of group intervention.
It is important to remember that you are not alone.
Support groups offered in most communities include Al-Anon, which
holds regular meetings for spouses and other significant adults
in an alcoholic's life, and Alateen, which is geared to children
of alcoholics. These groups help family members understand that
they are not responsible for an alcoholic's drinking and that they
need to take steps to take care of themselves, regardless of whether
the alcoholic family member chooses to get help.
Source: National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse
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