If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol addiction, an alcohol addiction treatment center in North Carolina is a great option. Young adults who suffer from alcohol addiction have special needs. Family and friends need to offer as much support as possible in addition to seeking professional help for your loved one. Keep in mind that the most important thing you can do for someone who’s addicted to alcohol is to enroll them into an alcohol rehab program where they can get the professional help they so desperately need.
Let Them Know You Are Willing to Help
It may seem obvious to you that you want to know how to help an alcoholic and your loved one who is an alcoholic, but they may not realize it. This is especially the case when you’re dealing with a young adult. Young adults often feel like they are misunderstood and alone. When you couple that with the distorted emotions that alcoholism brings on, a young adult alcoholic is likely to feel like no one cares about them. Vocalize your intent to help and then follow that up with actions that demonstrate your willingness to support them in their time of need.
Don’t Tolerate Abuse
At the same time, the impulse to drink is powerful. Even when an alcoholic mentally wants to quit, they may act in ways that contradict that desire to acquire alcohol. If you happen to be in the way of that alcohol, your loved one may become abusive. Even though you want to be supportive, this doesn’t mean you should sacrifice your own needs. Never tolerate abuse from an alcoholic. Disengage and let them know that when they’re ready to treat you with respect, you’ll be there again to help them. This enables the alcoholic to know that some behaviors are not okay, but that you will forgive them when things get out of hand.
Don’t Drink in Front of Them
Even if you can personally consume alcohol without it becoming an addiction, you should refrain from doing so in front of a young adult alcoholic. The temptation to imbibe is powerful with alcoholics, and they are often powerless against this temptation. If you must drink, do so when not in the company of the young adult alcoholic. Also, avoid stocking the home refrigerator or pantry with alcohol, as this is also a temptation that is almost impossible to resist for alcoholics.
Make Activities a Priority
Another recommendation for how to help an alcoholic is to make activities a priority. This is particularly important for a young adult alcoholic who has returned home from rehab. Instead of sitting in front of the TV every night, try to incorporate some fun or interesting family activities in your lives. You might try things like visiting a different restaurant once a week that serves up a certain cultural cuisine. Or you could try our addiction therapy services at Red Oak Recovery® , which include wilderness and adventure therapy.
Choose Your Battles
As a parent, you might be used to complaining about your young adult child playing too many video games, or not cleaning their room. But to help an alcoholic, one thing to remember is that you should choose your battles. During this time of recuperation after rehab, your young adult may spend even more time playing video games in an attempt to keep their mind off wanting a drink. Try to offer more space so that your loved one doesn’t have more stress to deal with.
These tips for how to help an alcoholic should help you to support your loved one who is battling alcoholism. For more information or to learn about a treatment center near you, please contact us at 866.457.7590.
