How Ohio Family and Friends Can Help in the Addiction Treatment Process
Do you want to help you loved one recover faster? The impact of an addiction can carry its toll on family and friends. In most cases, those closest to the individual endure the brunt of the consequences of the drinking problem. These range from financial coasts due to medical treatment to the emotional burden caused by conflicts and worry. Alcohol addiction is not a switch that can be flipped on and off. When a person is an alcoholic, they've lost control of their drinking. Any glass of alcohol has to be finished. The bottle has to be drained. It's time to seek professional help. How can you help your friend or relative who is an alcoholic? These tips will guide you.
1. Get the Right Help
First stop hiding the problem. You can't just close your eyes and hope the addiction goes away. Tell other people you’re close to. These can be parents, siblings or your family doctor. It has to be somebody you can trust, and who can provide real help. They will enable your loved one to access medical assistance.
You should also accept the fact that you can't single-handedly save the alcoholic. This mentality affects most of the relatives and friends of the individual. You have to realize that an alcoholic will use your loving nature against you. Most problem drinkers are masters at manipulating. For example, by consistently paying their overdue rent or DUI fines, you prevent them from experiencing the real effects of their drinking problem. These "padded consequences" actually encourage them to continue, since they know you'll always be there to get them out of trouble. You can't really "love" a person into recovery. They need to experience the consequences of their actions. These are the foundations that give them insight and kick start their efforts to recover.
Start by talking to the affected person and eventually get him/her into an alcohol recovery program. This is best done at a facility where the person can receive counselling and be put under 24-hour supervision. This is the first step on the road to recovery.
2. Empower Yourself
How much do you know about alcoholism? As a family member, you have the responsibility to get educated about the disease of addiction. Find a resource in your community, or online, and learn about the disease and how it relates to human behavior and control. This will put you in a better position to understand what your loved one is going through.
3. Don't Become an Enabler
Money is the lifeblood of addiction. Unless it’s a life-threatening scenario-such as being in hospital- do not lend money to the alcoholic. In virtually all cases of active alcoholism, there's a friend or family member providing financial support. An alcoholic will come up with any excuse to get money from you- from needing cash for groceries, to paying for their car to prevent it from being repossessed. Sometimes the reasons are valid, and you should check them out to confirm. However, most of the time the money will go directly to booze. This negates on the impact of the treatment center. You may have the best intentions when loaning out the money, but more often than not it’ll go into fueling the drinking habit.
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4. Don't Blame Yourself
It's not your fault that your brother or daughter has developed a drinking problem. There various causes, ranging from environmental and societal to situational. However, you most certainly did not single-handedly drive your family member to the bottle. Absolving yourself will put you in a better position to support them.
5. Don't be Gullible
Talk is cheap. Anyone can make promises. But how many can walk the talk? When your loved one is going through the recovery program, watch what he or she does. Don't be quick to buy into the promises made. It's not because they don't intent to keep the promises. They just don't have the will to stick to the commitment. This is especially when a person has just started cutting back on the drinking. Additionally, don't extract promises from them. This is because you'll be setting yourself up for frustration and anger.
6. Your Role in The Rehab Process
When your loved one has begun the alcohol addiction treatment, you have 2 major roles to play. These are determined by whether the person is in an inpatient or an outpatient program.
When the patient is in an inpatient program there are different ways for you to take an active role in the recovery program. This should be done in consultation with the overseeing health care professional. Some of the things you can do include:
· Making regular visits;
· Writing letters to encourage the recovering individual;
· Attending the family counselling sessions;
· Refraining from being judgmental or condescending to the patient's plight
The patient is human. Once they start regaining their ability to have clear and coherent thoughts, they may feel embarrassed or dejected. By being there and showing your support, you help them to recover their self-confidence and also give them motivation to complete the process.
For the outpatient cases, you’ll still have to provide encouragement- from giving the occasional shoulder to cry on to cheering them on the recovery journey. This will go a long way in beating the cravings that will come. You also have to provide a safe haven for the patient to stay in during the program- you may be needed to provide a place away from the influences of alcohol. If the person is staying at home, be willing to make the necessary lifestyle changes. Refrain from consuming alcohol completely at home. At the very least, do not drink in front of the recovering addict.
Extra Tips to Help With the Recovery of Your Loved One
Alcohol addiction treatment is a long process. Your continued support will be needed, especially during the first stage- the detox part. Here the patient will experience various unpleasant symptoms ranging from physical illness and insomnia to excessive lethargy. How can you help?
· Play some games. The goal is to the patient's mind off the things their body is going through.
· Don't bring up the past. Avoid revisiting old hurtful truths-like discussing what turned the person to alcohol for the first time. Hold pleasant conversations and excite them about the present and future prospects.
· Hold their hand every step of the way. This means that you should make every effort not to allow the patient to feel isolated, For instance, if the person is suffering from insomnia, try to stay awake with them. That way, you can help the patient get through the long hours, and prevent them from succumbing into the cravings and temptation to slip away and grab a bottle. The support of friends and family is crucial in enabling an addict to fully recover.
1. Get the Right Help
First stop hiding the problem. You can't just close your eyes and hope the addiction goes away. Tell other people you’re close to. These can be parents, siblings or your family doctor. It has to be somebody you can trust, and who can provide real help. They will enable your loved one to access medical assistance.
You should also accept the fact that you can't single-handedly save the alcoholic. This mentality affects most of the relatives and friends of the individual. You have to realize that an alcoholic will use your loving nature against you. Most problem drinkers are masters at manipulating. For example, by consistently paying their overdue rent or DUI fines, you prevent them from experiencing the real effects of their drinking problem. These "padded consequences" actually encourage them to continue, since they know you'll always be there to get them out of trouble. You can't really "love" a person into recovery. They need to experience the consequences of their actions. These are the foundations that give them insight and kick start their efforts to recover.
Start by talking to the affected person and eventually get him/her into an alcohol recovery program. This is best done at a facility where the person can receive counselling and be put under 24-hour supervision. This is the first step on the road to recovery.
2. Empower Yourself
How much do you know about alcoholism? As a family member, you have the responsibility to get educated about the disease of addiction. Find a resource in your community, or online, and learn about the disease and how it relates to human behavior and control. This will put you in a better position to understand what your loved one is going through.
3. Don't Become an Enabler
Money is the lifeblood of addiction. Unless it’s a life-threatening scenario-such as being in hospital- do not lend money to the alcoholic. In virtually all cases of active alcoholism, there's a friend or family member providing financial support. An alcoholic will come up with any excuse to get money from you- from needing cash for groceries, to paying for their car to prevent it from being repossessed. Sometimes the reasons are valid, and you should check them out to confirm. However, most of the time the money will go directly to booze. This negates on the impact of the treatment center. You may have the best intentions when loaning out the money, but more often than not it’ll go into fueling the drinking habit.
Alcohol Addiction Columbus OH
Alcohol Addiction Cleveland OH
Alcohol Addiction Cincinnati OH
Drug and Alcohol Center in Ohio
Drug and Alcohol Facility in Ohio
4. Don't Blame Yourself
It's not your fault that your brother or daughter has developed a drinking problem. There various causes, ranging from environmental and societal to situational. However, you most certainly did not single-handedly drive your family member to the bottle. Absolving yourself will put you in a better position to support them.
5. Don't be Gullible
Talk is cheap. Anyone can make promises. But how many can walk the talk? When your loved one is going through the recovery program, watch what he or she does. Don't be quick to buy into the promises made. It's not because they don't intent to keep the promises. They just don't have the will to stick to the commitment. This is especially when a person has just started cutting back on the drinking. Additionally, don't extract promises from them. This is because you'll be setting yourself up for frustration and anger.
6. Your Role in The Rehab Process
When your loved one has begun the alcohol addiction treatment, you have 2 major roles to play. These are determined by whether the person is in an inpatient or an outpatient program.
When the patient is in an inpatient program there are different ways for you to take an active role in the recovery program. This should be done in consultation with the overseeing health care professional. Some of the things you can do include:
· Making regular visits;
· Writing letters to encourage the recovering individual;
· Attending the family counselling sessions;
· Refraining from being judgmental or condescending to the patient's plight
The patient is human. Once they start regaining their ability to have clear and coherent thoughts, they may feel embarrassed or dejected. By being there and showing your support, you help them to recover their self-confidence and also give them motivation to complete the process.
For the outpatient cases, you’ll still have to provide encouragement- from giving the occasional shoulder to cry on to cheering them on the recovery journey. This will go a long way in beating the cravings that will come. You also have to provide a safe haven for the patient to stay in during the program- you may be needed to provide a place away from the influences of alcohol. If the person is staying at home, be willing to make the necessary lifestyle changes. Refrain from consuming alcohol completely at home. At the very least, do not drink in front of the recovering addict.
Extra Tips to Help With the Recovery of Your Loved One
Alcohol addiction treatment is a long process. Your continued support will be needed, especially during the first stage- the detox part. Here the patient will experience various unpleasant symptoms ranging from physical illness and insomnia to excessive lethargy. How can you help?
· Play some games. The goal is to the patient's mind off the things their body is going through.
· Don't bring up the past. Avoid revisiting old hurtful truths-like discussing what turned the person to alcohol for the first time. Hold pleasant conversations and excite them about the present and future prospects.
· Hold their hand every step of the way. This means that you should make every effort not to allow the patient to feel isolated, For instance, if the person is suffering from insomnia, try to stay awake with them. That way, you can help the patient get through the long hours, and prevent them from succumbing into the cravings and temptation to slip away and grab a bottle. The support of friends and family is crucial in enabling an addict to fully recover.