Intervention: Help a loved one overcome addiction

If you’re not sure if you’re ready to change or you’re struggling with the decision, it can help to think about the costs and benefits of each choice. Alcohol addiction may involve several different treatment methods. It’s important that each person get involved in a recovery program that will support alcohol addiction help long-term sobriety. This could mean an emphasis on therapy for someone who is depressed, or inpatient treatment for someone with severe withdrawal symptoms. Treating alcohol addiction can be complex and challenging. In order for treatment to work, the person with an alcohol addiction must want to get sober.

Helping Someone with a Drug Addiction

Intensive residential rehabilitation may require an additional assessment process to determine if there is funding for this. Cutting down or stopping drinking is usually just the beginning, and most people will need some degree of help or a long-term plan to stay in control or completely alcohol free. We are unable at this time to accept Medicare or Medicaid plans. We do offer affordable self-pay and financing options, so reach out and get started on your journey to lasting recovery.

Types of Treatment

• Have the conversation in a place where you know you’ll have quiet and privacy.
• Talk to friends, people and family members in recovery who have the lived experience of what you’re going through, and seek the help of addiction specialists.
• In these instances, the steps in this section may still be useful.
• Take the assessment and get matched with a therapist in as little as 48 hours.
• After expressing the way you feel in a conversation with your loved one, they may be open to receiving professional treatment for their substance use issues.

In some cases, your loved one with an addiction may not accept the treatment plan. They also may be resentful and accuse you of betrayal or being a hypocrite. Treatment may include counseling, education, job services, family services and life skills training. For example, Mayo Clinic offers various addiction services and has a thorough team approach to treating addiction. Chances are good that you know someone who’s recovering from substance use disorder (SUD) and could benefit from your support. Maybe they’re a close family member or friend, or maybe it’s someone you don’t know as well.

How alcohol abuse affects family and friends

If someone is helping a person with AUD, they must be mindful not to enable drinking behavior. During AUD recovery, a person should focus on taking care of themselves and engaging in positive self-care behaviors. When approaching someone with AUD or a drinking problem, it is important to do research and approach them calmly at an appropriate time and place.

The counselor provides information about the individual’s drinking pattern and potential risks. After the individual receives personalized feedback, the counselor will work with them to set goals and provide ideas for helping to make a change. Local authorities are responsible for alcohol treatment services.

How to approach someone with a drinking problem

• This can help you better determine whether or not your actions may actually be enabling them to continue in their behavior without you realizing it.
• Some people may drink all day, while others may only binge in the evening alone.
• It’s also important to continue supporting them as they attend aftercare programs like group therapy or 12-step meetings, which are critical for maintaining long-term sobriety.
• And all too often, their friends and family pick up the slack.

Three medications are currently approved in the United States to help people stop or reduce their drinking and prevent a return to drinking. These medications are prescribed by a primary care provider or other health care provider and may be used alone or in combination with counseling. The more you know about addiction, the better equipped you’ll be to offer meaningful support. Researching addiction’s impact on the brain, the withdrawal process, and the emotional challenges of recovery can help you relate to your loved one on a deeper level.

Utilize the people in your life.

Try to remain neutral and don’t argue, lecture, accuse, or threaten. When you’re craving alcohol, there’s a tendency to remember the positive effects of drinking and forget the negatives. Remind yourself of the adverse long-term effects https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of heavy drinking and how it won’t really make you feel better, even in the short term. The symptoms listed above may be a sign of a severe form of alcohol withdrawal called delirium tremens, or DTs.

How to Help an Alcoholic Friend

Remember that changing long-standing patterns is hard, takes time, and requires repeated efforts. We usually experience setbacks along the way, learn from them, and then keep going. Some people are surprised to learn that there are medications on the market approved to treat AUD. The newer types of these medications work by offsetting changes in the brain caused by AUD.