Alcoholism refers to someone’s failure to control how much alcohol they drink. There are approximately 17 million people diagnosed with alcoholism in this country. Alcoholism can be caused by genetics or other environmental or psychological causes.

If you want to know how to help someone with a drinking problem, follow these steps. You just might save their life.

Alcoholism Symptoms

As a worried family member or friend you might have observed the following physical symptoms of excess drinking:

• Hallucinations
• Anxiety
• Sweating
• Insomnia
• Seizures

Other warning signals can include:

• Hiding or lying about how much alcohol is consumed
• Abandoning hobbies or other previous activities once considered fulfilling and important
• Drinking larger amounts of alcohol over shorter periods to reach the desired effect
• Doing activities considered dangerous to do while you’re drinking that could lead to injuries (i.e., swimming, driving, walking in restricted or unsafe areas)
• Missing job responsibilities to recover from hangovers

If you witness these symptoms being repeated over and over, it’s time for you to convince your loved one they need professional help. You can help someone stop drinking by staging an intervention to stop the destruction.

How to Help Someone with a Drinking Problem: Intervention

An intervention is a prearranged conversation where family or friends face an addict and ask them to seek professional help to stop their addiction. This conversation is your chance to tell the addict that they’re not alone in this fight and outline how you and the others plan to help.

An intervention usually happens at different stages during the addiction. Each intervention stage should include goals and tasks that the addict needs to accomplish to reach sobriety.

It’s important to set boundaries and identify consequences for you and your colleagues so that someone doesn’t become an enabler. It’s not up to you to solve the addict’s problems for them. Your message should be clear that it’s time for the addict to accept medical treatment and that you’ll help them get there any way you can.

Types of Treatment for Alcoholism

There are different models for the treatment of alcoholism. These model include:

Residential Treatment

Residential treatment provides detoxification care to patients in a non-medical, residential setting. Patients live with other patients who have similar addictions. They receive therapy and medication on a 24-hour basis.

Out-Patient Program

An out-patient program provides non-medically supervised treatment services. These services are scheduled to accommodate a patient’s family life and job during the recovery process.

Sober Living

Sober living includes temporary housing for addicts who have finished a residential treatment program. Sober living clients participate together in joint self-esteem building, group counseling, and other activities that help them create a plan for sobriety.

Next Steps

Talk to your doctor about how to help someone with a drinking problem. Study these treatment models and ask your physician for their advice or any referrals. Your doctor can also help advise you if your loved one has a relapse during their treatment.

Don’t try to discuss sobriety with someone drinking alcohol. The addict will most likely become defensive and strike out in anger. Just remember to stay calm so that you can describe how this addiction is destroying their health.

Don’t forget to check our website for more tips on staying clean and sober. Now is the time to unite with friends and family members. With your help, your loved one can live a life that’s alcohol-free.