Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol Addiction

How to Help Someone with an Alcohol Addiction

If someone in your life is struggling with an alcohol addiction, it can be overwhelming to even begin to understand how to support them. You might not know the right thing to say or where to point them for resources. Not to mention, the situation may also stir up mental health challenges for you, as someone in their life.

There’s no right way to help someone who is struggling. But, if someone in your life is dealing with alcohol addition, here are a few things to keep in mind as you help them get their life on track.

What is Alcohol Addiction?

The first thing to do if you’re hoping to help someone in your life who is struggling with alcohol addiction is to learn.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, alcoholism is a chronic relapsing brain disorder characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. Alcoholism ranges from mild to severe.

Repeatedly using alcohol without the ability to stop or regulate your consumption can lead to both short and long term effects. In the short term, people generally experience the usual effects of being drunk or intoxicated—loss of coordination, inappropriate behavior, and inability to make decisions. In the long term, people who use alcohol repeatedly may have trouble processing information and learning, and may have a harder time controlling alcohol use the longer they continue using.

How do I know if a friend or family member has alcoholism?

There are a few key signs to look out for if you suspect someone in your life is having trouble controlling their alcohol use.

People who are consistently using alcohol without control may overdose on alcohol. These symptoms may include loss of consciousness, confusion, vomiting, and irregular breathing. If you recognize these symptoms, it is important to call 911 to help this person get the medical attention they need.

Sometimes, people show little-to-no physical signs of their alcohol use. Someone who is high functioning while using alcohol may act irrationally, may have trouble retaining relationships and friendships, drink alone often, and need alcohol to feel confident or relaxed.

How do I help someone who is struggling with alcoholism?

If you think someone in your life is showing the signs and symptoms of alcohol addiction, you’ve probably already thought about all the ways you could help them.

Here are some steps to think through to guide you through the process of getting them help.

1. Know what you want to say and how you want to say it. It’s always helpful to be prepared for hard conversations. This is a particular conversation where you’ll want to make sure you clearly articulate a few things:

• You’re having this conversation because you care about them. You can try phrases like, “I care about you,” or, “You matter a lot to me.”
• You’re here to talk about the specifics around your concern. Specificity will make sure you aren’t asking them to read between the lines and will leave little opportunity for misinterpretation. Make sure to spell out, “I care about you and I’m concerned about how much you’re drinking lately.” Or, “You matter to me and I’ve noticed you’ve been drinking more recently.”

Before you begin this conversation, you’ll want to have a clear plan for when and where you’ll have it. Pick a time and location that you think will be the most conducive to a productive conversation with this person.

2. Practice active listening. It’s not on you to have all the answers or every right thing to say. Sometimes the best thing you can do to show your support is listen and reflect back what you’re hearing. This will show the person that you aren’t there to judge them and only want to help them get healthy.

3. Collaborate and direct them towards a resource. Though you will not solve all problems, it is important to make sure you conclude the conversation with some closure by helping them find or access a resource. This could be as simple as urging them to research support options and offering a few examples. Or, it could include sharing specifics around which programs and support resources they might want to try first. If you’re looking for a place to start, DynamiCare may be a good option to get them on a path to recovery.