But it’s important to remember that you still have a major impact on the choices that your child makes, especially during their preteen and early teen years. The best treatment option for your loved one depends largely on the depth of their drinking problem, the stability of their living situation, and any other health issues they may be facing. Do you suspect that you are experiencing withdrawal from alcohol?
How alcohol abuse affects family and friends
Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking. You might not recognize how much you drink or how many problems in your life are related to alcohol use. Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help.
If you have decided that you do have a drinking problem and you want to do something about it, there is a world of help available. The first step should be to contact your healthcare provider and be totally honest about your use of alcohol. Quitting alcohol suddenly can result in alcohol withdrawal symptoms that can range from mild to life-threatening. Self-assessments can be helpful for spotting the signs of a problem, highwatch online meetings but consider talking to your healthcare provider if you are concerned about your alcohol consumption. They can make an official diagnosis and provide further advice and treatment recommendations.
Supporting your loved one’s recovery
About half the people who complete alcohol abuse treatment for the first time stay alcohol-free, while the other half relapse and return to drinking at some point. It’s common for people to require treatment more than once to finally achieve sobriety. That means you’ll need plenty of patience when supporting your loved one’s recovery.
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 good place to start is by joining a group such as Al-Anon, a free peer support group for families dealing with a loved one’s alcohol abuse. Listening to others facing the same challenges can serve as a tremendous source of comfort and support, and help you develop new tools for coping. Alateen is a similar support group specifically for teens who have a family member abusing alcohol.
- Other signs of concern include needing to drink more alcohol to produce the same effects and having strong cravings for alcohol.
- Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking.
- It’s important that your teen feels you are supportive.
- If you feel that you sometimes drink too much alcohol, or your drinking is causing problems, or if your family is concerned about your drinking, talk with your health care provider.
Overcoming Alcohol Addiction
A person with a drinking problem may or may not have an alcohol use disorder. In some cases, people who might be described as problem drinkers can reduce their alcohol intake or quit drinking when they realize it negatively affects their lives. Genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors can impact how drinking alcohol affects your body and fun substance abuse group activities for adults behavior. Theories suggest that for certain people drinking has a different and stronger impact that can lead to alcohol use disorder.
And if others in your life have told you that you have a problem, you probably do. If you have continued to drink in spite of negative consequences, that could be an indication of a serious problem. He told AXS twelve steps of alcoholics anonymous TV in June, 2017 that the song has different meanings for different people, and that while on the surface it may seem light hearted, it’s really about something heavy.
Consider talking with someone who has had a problem with drinking but has stopped. Millions of readers rely on HelpGuide.org for free, evidence-based resources to understand and navigate mental health challenges. Please donate today to help us save, support, and change lives. If you think that you have a drinking problem, you should seek a full evaluation by a healthcare professional. There are many diagnostics tests available online that can help you self-evaluate your drinking, but none of them should substitute for professional medical advice. Too much alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain.
Teens today experiment with alcohol earlier and more often than ever before. They’re more likely to binge drink and more vulnerable to developing an alcohol use disorder than adults. This may be because the pleasure center of a teen’s brain matures before their capacity to make sound decisions. Of course, not everyone who drinks too much is an alcoholic. Depending on the level of your loved one’s problem—and how much control they have over their drinking—they may be able to reduce their alcohol intake to a healthier level rather than quit altogether.
They’ll have to find new ways of living without alcohol and they’ll also have to tackle the problems that led to their alcohol abuse in the first place. But with your ongoing support and love, they can get there. While it’s important to be open and honest about your concerns, you need to remember that you cannot force someone to stop abusing alcohol. As much as you may want to, and as hard as it is to watch, you cannot make someone stop drinking. What you can do, though, is offer them steps they can take to address their problem—whether that’s calling a helpline, talking to a doctor or counsellor, entering treatment, or going to a group meeting.
