Few things in the world can feel worse than seeing your loved one in a downward spiral because of alcoholism or substance addiction. You’ve already run through a wealth of emotions—anger, fear, exhaustion—that you’re not just sure anymore of what to do, or how to help. You know you need help but you just aren’t sure where to get it. Well, here are some tips from HelpGuide.Org on what you should and shouldn’t do:
Don’ts
- Don’t punish your loved one in any way. Don’t threaten or bribe or even preach, you’ll only put them on the defensive and make them that much harder to see things from your point of view.
- Don’t play the martyr. If you’re going to lay on the guilt, you might just add to your loved one’s negative feelings about his drinking or drug abuse problem, which could further push him to drink or to the edge.
- Don’t try to drink with your alcoholic loved one. You should be helping him control the urge, to fight the addiction back. Becoming his drinking buddy hardly sends off the right kind of message.
- Don’t get into a fight with a drunk. You’re more likely to come out of the losing end. More importantly, nothing good will come out of it.
Do’s
- Be honest. That means not making up any excuse for the alcoholic in the family or shielding your loved one from the negative effects of the drink. For instance, a binge resulted in a fight and your loved managed to clip you on the face. Don’t try to hide it to spare your loved one’s feelings.
- Give them a sense of importance. Don’t take away their responsibilities or tasks or do it for them. Give them something to accomplish. A lot of times, it’s the tiny tasks that make us feel better, that give us that sense of accomplishment.
- Let your loved one deal with the situation, head on. Don’t try to hide bottles from every room or throw out the liquor. Have them come in, see the bottles for themselves and find a way to deal with it without getting a drink.
Lastly, ask for help. Alcoholics aren’t the only ones who suffer. Families suffer a great deal too. So if you need help, ask for it. A lot of rehabs offer counseling services. For more information about that, especially about finding a rehab facility in Malibu, get in touch with Seasons in Malibu today.
Looking for a rehab facility in Malibu? Seasons in Malibu offers help and assistance to recovering addicts, along with their families. Learn more about our services. Ask us.
