If
An Alcoholic Is Unwilling To Get Help, What Can
You Do About It?
Press Release Feb. 2011
It can be a challenge to get your loved one to get
treatment for his/her addiction. An alcoholic can't
be forced to get help except under certain circumstances,
such as a violent incident that results in court-ordered
treatment or medical emergency. But you don't have
to wait for someone to "hit rock bottom"
to act. Many alcoholism treatment specialists suggest
the following steps to help an alcoholic get treatment:
Stop all "cover ups."
Family members often make excuses to others or try
to protect the alcoholic from the results of his
or her drinking. It is important to stop covering
for the alcoholic so that he or she experiences
the full consequences of drinking.
Time your intervention. The best
time to talk to the drinker is shortly after an
alcohol-related problem has occurred - like a serious
family argument or an accident. Choose a time when
he or she is sober, both of you are fairly calm,
and you have a chance to talk in private.
Be specific. Tell the family
member that you are worried about his or her drinking.
Use examples of the ways in which the drinking has
caused problems, including the most recent incident.
State the results.
Explain to the drinker what you will do if he or
she doesn't go for help - not to punish the drinker,
but to protect yourself from his or her problems.
What you say may range from refusing to go with
the person to any social activity where alcohol
will be served, to moving out of the house. Do not
make any threats you are not prepared to carry out.
Get help. Gather
information in advance about treatment options in
your community. If the person is willing to get
help, call immediately for an appointment with a
treatment counselor. Offer to go with the family
member on the first visit to a treatment program
and/or an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
Call on a friend. If the family
member still refuses to get help, ask a friend to
talk with him or her using the steps just described.
A friend who is a recovering alcoholic may be particularly
persuasive, but any person who is caring and nonjudgmental
may help. The intervention of more than one person,
more than one time, is often necessary to coax an
alcoholic to seek help.
Find
strength in numbers. With the help of a
health care professional, some families join with
other relatives and friends to confront an alcoholic
as a group. This approach should only be tried under
the guidance of a health care professional who is
experienced in this kind of group intervention.
Get support. It is
important to remember that you are not alone. Support
groups offered in most communities include Al-Anon,
which holds regular meetings for spouses and other
significant adults in an alcoholic's life, and Alateen,
which is geared to children of alcoholics. These
groups help family members understand that they
are not responsible for an alcoholic's drinking
and that they need to take steps to take care of
themselves, regardless of whether the alcoholic
family member chooses to get help.
Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away.
If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate
attention you may contact us:
Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237
Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com
You may also send us e-mail.
Please keep in mind that e-mails are answered within 24 hours Monday
through Friday.
Related Topics:
What
is Alcoholism?
Statistics
on Alcoholism
Risk
Factors for Alcoholism
Progression
of Alcoholism
Symptoms
of Alcoholism
How
is Alcoholism Diagnosed?
Prognosis
of Alcoholism
How
is Alcoholism Treated?
Cove
Center for Recovery Provides Alcoholism Treatment
for the following States:
Drug Rehab Northeast Region
- New England Division: Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont;
Middle Atlantic Division: New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania.
Drug
Rehab Midwest Region - East North
Central Division: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio,
Wisconsin; West North Central Division: Iowa, Kansas,
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South
Dakota.
Drug Rehab South Region
- South Atlantic Division: Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia; East South
Central Division: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi,
Tennessee; West South Central Division: Arkansas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas.
Drug Rehab West Region
- Mountain Division: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,
Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming; Pacific Division:
Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington.
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