Alcohol addiction is a serious problem that a lot of people struggle with. If you have a loved one who wants to quit drinking, and you want to offer a helping hand, then here are 10 ways that you can help them:
1. Be informed about the problem.
You can’t really help someone if you don’t have any idea what they’re going through. Alcohol addiction is more than just the consumption of alcohol; there’s almost always an underlying problem that needs to be addressed as well. Information will also help you understand the problem better. You can do research on the different ways that alcohol withdrawal affects an individual so that you know what to do once the withdrawal symptoms kick in.
2. Stop playing the blame game.
People with alcohol addiction usually exhibit behaviours that hurt the people around them. This is most likely just a part of a self-destructive mentality wherein they try to push away the people that they love the most. If your loved ones have said or done something to hurt you, you should try to lengthen your patience. Remember that they have already made the decision to quit drinking, which is a big positive step towards recovery. Stop playing the blame game and be as understanding as you can be.
3. Take your friend somewhere else on a Friday night.
This is one of the simplest ways in which you can help. If you usually go to a bar, a pub or a club on a Friday night, then offer to take your friend somewhere else. You can go see a movie instead or, better yet, stay at home and hang out at your place. You can stream a film on Netflix, play board games, or cook a meal together. Avoiding places where they may slip and doing activities that can take their mind off alcohol, even if they last just for a little while, they will help them a lot through the process.
4. Don’t push them!
One of the biggest mistakes that friends and family members make when “trying to help” a loved one overcome their alcohol addiction is to push them to quit. Every person goes through the process differently—you can’t expect your loved one to stop drinking as per your timeline! At the same time, don’t force them to see a therapist or to go to an AA meeting. Oftentimes, these efforts “to help” are what stops a person to really commit to quitting drinking.
5. Get ready for slip-ups.
It is possible that during the process, your loved one will have a slip-up or two. Don’t give up on them when this happens! Again, you need to be as understanding and as patient as possible if you want to be able to help them overcome their alcohol addiction. The fact that they’re already taking steps on how to stop drinking is already big for them, so keep supporting them despite slip-ups.
Your love and support surely mean a lot to your loved one who’s trying to overcome their alcohol addiction. But if you need an extra set of hands to help, Allen Carr’s Easyway helps individuals to quit drinking easily and painlessly.
