dealing with alcoholic family members

iBot

iBot

iBot

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I think one of my immediate family members is an alcoholic.

2 barely wines & 2 cans of super strength larger every night for 7-8 years. (Hello liver failure)


Every week or so at least someone tries to get her to admit she has a proplem and she should get some help, but she refuses to admit it and walks of in a strop.

It's starting to disrupt my life now so i'm determined to get her help

But I honestly dont know what to do, We have tried almost everything over the years.

Any suggestions?
 
You can't help someone that doesn't want it, the only way you are going to get anywhere is to make them admit that they have a problem. Then you can get them some help.
 
M0T said:
You can't help someone that doesn't want it, the only way you are going to get anywhere is to make them admit that they have a problem. Then you can get them some help.
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wise and true words
 
Well there 0800 numbers on there if you have no joy mate...

hell... 0800 77 66 00... there ya go!
 
I dont mean to sound rude here,

But what make you think he is an alcholic? Because he has drank some weird stuff after work?

Or that he has lost day/nights/jobs over it.

If it is the former then dont worry about it, a lot of people relax with beer.

KaHn
 
As mentioned - until shes admits it to herself nothing will help her.

Denial is a terrible thing but thats the phase she seems to be in at the moment and until you can get her to admit to herself she has a problem, she will not be successful in trying to deal with it.

I really have no experience with this so someone that has obviously will have a better take on what course of action to pursue, are you the only person close that has seriously acknowledged this is a problem for her, and is there any chance of getting others that are close to her on side?
 
A good friend of mine was a closet alky, I took him outside, got him really really mad by accusing him of being an alcoholic and then he swung at me and we had a proper good fight. After a fight 2 mates can always talk to each other - he admitted it and got help after that
 
the toughest thing you have to do is think about youself and not let it get you down

when the time comes to help this family member you have to be there but until they admit there is a problem you are wasting your time

one idea is to video them in different states - worked for a friend
 
If they're your parents then just say you're going to start too. I'm thinking of doing this to my mum - she smokes. I figure if I just go light up with her (She doesn't know I smoke socially) then it'll shock her a lot. This isn't really that do-able with this situation but it's just a thought.
 
From what youve said there not really an alcoholic at all.
An alcoholic wakes up in the morning and drinks, not 4 drinks per night. (what strength beer 8 or 9%?)

Seems like a habit. If they started drinking more every night untill it became a problem.
Not effecting anyone but the sounds of it. Leave the poor person be.
 
ChroniC said:
From what youve said there not really an alcoholic at all.
An alcoholic wakes up in the morning and drinks, not 4 drinks per night. (what strength beer 8 or 9%?)

Seems like a habit. If they started drinking more every night untill it became a problem.
Not effecting anyone but the sounds of it. Leave the poor person be.
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An alcoholic is anyone who cannot go without a drink which is what it seems in this case. It may be at a set time but they are still showing signs of alcoholism.
This kind of reasoning is why there are so many alcohol problems out there - there are really 2 types of alcoholics; I refer the them as "functioning" and "non-functioning", the first is the average joe who works 9-5 but once home has to have a drink and can't go without it, the second is the 10/11am vodka with cornflakes stay-at-home which can end up being the bum you walk past in the train station.

Ask them to go without a drink for a week, if they can then it's just a habit, if they can't or refuse to try then there is a possibility that there is a problem.

As someone else said though, there isn't much you can do until they ask for help. My mother has done about 6 home detoxs and gone into a drying out clinic at least once but it only helps for a little while before she goes back to the drink (longest was about a year, shortest was about 3 weeks). My mother admits shes an alcoholic but she doesn't really want to stop being one.
 
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