Some very helpful tips to helping an alcoholic family member

If you have a family member who is an alcoholic, don’t panic, there is plenty of help available. With the right treatment and a great amount of patience, your loved one can be truly free from this addiction. You can find out where to get help from several online sources, such as https://www.arise-network.com/, and you can also consult with friends and colleagues for the best places to get help for this kind of addiction.

The following are several ways in which you can help your loved one who is an alcoholic:

 Never lend or give money to an alcoholic

Most alcoholics have mastered the art of manipulation. They will give all sorts of excuses for needing urgent financial support, and even though they may have had a genuine need, the cash you give them will most probably go to alcohol. It’s not advisable at all to give them finances unless the cash is for them to get help at a rehabilitation center, and even then you should pay directly to the center.

 Offer a listening ear

Many alcoholics tend to be very defensive, and if you approach them with an accusatory tone, they will probably become worse. You should therefore offer a listening ear with a lot of compassion and understanding. Listen especially to the reasons they give for their drinking habit and use this as a guideline to show them the way out. You could also gently show them the dangers of being an alcoholic and try to convince them that they actually need help.

 Realize that you cannot change them

You need to realize that you will never be able to change the alcoholic family member. They need to make that decision for themselves. You can only offer encouragement on what they can do and also advise them on the various sources of help available, but do not give in to the temptation to try to force them to change. This will be counterproductive and will actually drive them further into the addiction.

 Offer to take them to meetings of recovering alcoholics

If they are willing, take them to meetings where recovering alcoholics encourage each other and talk about their experiences in their journey towards recovery. This will help your loved one to get to know a new set of friends who will help him to take the important step towards becoming totally free from this addiction.

 Protect yourself

Learn to keep yourself free from the variety of emotions that come from dealing with an alcoholic family member. It’s mentally and physically draining to have an alcoholic in the family, and you need to be prepared to handle it while at the same time keeping yourself free from becoming affected. You could also go for therapy if needed.

 Feel free to engage the services of a professional.

Sometimes you may need to employ the services of a professional who will help your loved one to see the gravity of their problem. This is someone who will give the alcoholic facts about the consequences of their condition, and it will hopefully be a wake-up call to help them make the quality decision to go through recovery.

The above points give a ray of hope to you who have family members who are battling with alcohol addiction. All the best as you help your loved one to be totally free!