Instead, these are groups of people who have alcohol use disorder. Examples include Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, and other programs. Your peers can offer understanding and advice and help keep you accountable. An important first step is to learn more about alcohol use disorder and your treatment options. To protect your mental health, visit a therapist to process your emotions and discuss your experiences with your loved one.

Plan and Execute Interventions if Necessary

Even though this may be a temporary compromise, it is one that can be quite helpful during the recovery process. Choosing to quit drinking does not mean that any of the prior damage has been undone. Whatever areas of someone’s life have been impacted by alcoholism will still be there in their sobriety. This can be a difficult truth for many to face once they make the decision to stop drinking. Dealing with an alcoholic’s drinking problem can feel like an emotional rollercoaster and take a heavy toll on your health, outlook, and wellbeing.

How to support your loved one through their journey

It can be challenging to provide the appropriate help and support without the right knowledge. To help someone with AUD, a friend or relative can begin by reading about AUD and the reasons it might develop. If a person is worried someone they care about has AUD, they should consider the following steps. As with any addiction, there is a need to treat AUD as a serious health condition. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, getting help is just a phone call away, or consider trying therapy online with BetterHelp.

Prepare Emotionally for the Journey

Try not to allow your loved one’s behavior to dictate your own health and happiness. Schedule time into your day for relaxing, maintaining your own health, and doing the things you enjoy. Your loved one’s recovery can be a long process, so you need to maintain a balance in your life. It’s important to have people you can talk honestly and openly with about what you’re going through. Turn to trusted friends, a support group, people in your faith community, or your own therapist.

A Maritime Behavioral Health managed company

Topsail Addiction Treatment offers a range of programs to support your loved one throughout their recovery journey, ensuring they receive the comprehensive care they need. Just as some people with diabetes or asthma may have flare-ups of their disease, a return to drinking can be seen as a temporary setback to full recovery and not as a failure. Seeking professional help can prevent a return to drinking—behavioral therapies can help people develop skills to avoid and overcome triggers, such as stress, that might lead to drinking. Most people benefit from regular checkups with a treatment provider. Medications can also deter drinking during times when individuals may be at greater risk for a return to drinking (e.g., divorce, death of a family member). Alcohol use disorder is a medical and mental health condition with identifiable causes and risk factors.

• Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous provide practical advice and emotional support.
• Serious symptoms can also include intense periods of withdrawal once you stop using alcohol.
• No matter where you are on your recovery journey, treatment and support can help you recover from substance use disorder and addiction.
• Statements like “You’re ruining your life” or “You’re selfish for drinking” can escalate tension, making the person less receptive.

Encourage your loved one to try activities like journaling, yoga, meditation, and regular exercise to relieve stress. Our team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer any questions you may have. Give us a call today how to help someone with alcohol use disorder addiction to alcohol and begin your journey toward long-term recovery. The key to being able to help someone is to first figure out whether they are living with an alcohol use disorder. Expose your teen to healthy hobbies and activities, such as team sports, Scouts, and after-school clubs to discourage alcohol use.

While detoxing at home may seem convenient and easy, it can have significant risks. Suddenly quitting alcohol can cause seizures, hallucinations, heart failure and even death. Detoxing from alcohol is most effective under the guidance of a professional at a detox rehab center. However, if you choose to detox at home, focusing on hydration, a balanced diet and toxin-fighting vitamins and minerals is important. You should also have someone you trust to monitor your symptoms and provide support. The Recovery Village can help you successfully overcome addiction and get sober.

When discussing alcohol use, focus on how their drinking and drinks have affected your feelings and others. Use ‘I’ statements instead of ‘you’ statements to avoid sounding accusatory and to emphasize your perspective. By familiarizing yourself with these criteria, you can better support your loved one in seeking appropriate help. As alcohol use continues, the body and brain adjust to the neurochemistry changes caused by the alcohol. This adjustment, called dependence, makes it necessary to have alcohol so the brain and body can function normally.

• Whether you are struggling with addiction, mental health or both, our expert team is here to guide you every step of the way.
• It can be comforting to have friends and family by your side when going through treatment.
• Drinking alcohol can increase the risk of premature birth, brain damage, growth and development problems and congenital disabilities.
• Being honest and compassionate when discussing concerns with an alcoholic family member is essential.

The transtheoretical model can be helpful in guiding development of tailored behavioral interventions that can promote lasting change. Progression through these stages may not always follow a linear path, as individuals may move back and forth between stages. Resistance to change is recognized as an expected part of the process. Historically, substance misuse has been wrongly viewed and mistreated as an acute, behaviorally-centered condition. However, the scientific community now recognizes addiction as a primary & chronic disease that is centered in the brain with psychological & social components.

If you’re considering reducing or stopping use of a substance you’ve been using heavily or habitually, it’s best to talk with a healthcare professional about the type of care you may need. You can also access care through a treatment center for substance use disorder. It’s also possible to have mild to severe substance use disorder while using more than one substance.