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Are you concerned someone you care about is drinking too much? Watching someone you care about in the throes of alcoholism can be hard. You might feel overwhelmed, not knowing what to do or whether the person would even be willing to accept your help. You may also feel like your relationship with this person is deteriorating due to their drinking. Although addressing a loved one’s alcoholism or alcohol abuse can be both challenging and difficult, there is a way and help is available.
Signs Your Loved One Is Struggling With Alcoholism
The term “alcoholism” is a word to describe the struggle of alcohol use disorder. A person who battles alcoholism has a dependence on alcohol that is twofold because it is both physical and psychological. People battling alcohol use disorder struggle with controlling their drinking habits or opt to continue drinking despite the fact that their alcohol use causes problems. These problems may interfere with their social relationships, their professional lives or even their own health.
Cases of alcoholism can range from mild to severe. Mild cases can develop into more serious cases over time. Early intervention and treatment is important for those with alcohol use disorder for the best outcome.
It can be difficult to recognize the signs of a problem with alcohol in someone you care about, especially since the effects of the substance vary greatly from one person to another. There is no defined amount of alcohol a person has to drink in order to be diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder, rather, the condition is determined by how it affects a person’s life.
You may be able to identify a drinking problem in your loved one if they:
- Often binge drink or drink more than they intend to
- Have mood swings, aggression or other concerning changes in mood behavior
- Can’t remember what they said or did while using alcohol, or black out
- Regularly neglect their responsibilities in life because they are either drinking or recovering from drinking
- Continue using alcohol even if it causes problems in relationships with others
- Lie about drinking or try to cover how much they are drinking
- Use alcohol to self-medicate other mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder
If you want to know how to help someone with alcoholism, the first step is to educate yourself on everything there is to know about alcoholism and alcohol abuse. Learning about the different treatment options is important so you can talk with them while offering all of the support resources possible.
How to Help Someone With Alcoholism
If you wonder how to help someone with alcoholism, you can do so by learning how to recognize their drinking problem and encouraging them to seek professional treatment. Remember to approach your loved one with knowledge, care and understanding.
Understanding what alcoholism is and how alcohol use disorder impacts a person’s brain, body and behavior is the first step to helping your loved one suffering from the condition. This highly complex disorder involves more than just drinking too much on occasion. Alcoholism includes a high tolerance of alcohol, dependence and a loss of control.
If you are ready to learn how to help someone with alcoholism, there are many available recovery programs available to help. My Recovery has researched alcohol rehabs across the country and is available to match your loved one with the best alcohol rehab in your area. If you are ready to learn how to help someone with alcoholism with the guidance of a professional, reach out to My Recovery today to get your loved one on the path to wellness.
