If you know someone who’s battling an addiction to alcohol, you know that they’re suffering, and they’re also causing their loved ones to suffer. However, you can take steps to help an alcoholic get into rehab and receive the help they need to finally kick their addiction for good. This may not be easy, especially if the person doesn’t realize that they have a serious problem, or if they’re resistant to ask for help, but continue reading for some tips.
Try Outpatient Rehab
In the event that you know an alcoholic who’s really resistant to checking into a full-time rehab facility, rest assured that you can approach them and ask them to consider outpatient rehab from a place like rehabilitation-center.org instead.
With this type of rehab, the person can get the treatments necessary to change their habits and get clean, and then they can simply go home and to work just as they would if they were not in rehab. Because of this additional flexibility and freedom, many alcoholics are less resistant to this type of rehab than inpatient facilities that require you to check in, move in, and stay until you’re allowed to leave.
Help the Person Avoid Triggers
Even if an alcoholic is being successful at quitting their addiction, a trigger, such as a social situation, could cause them to fail. Therefore, in order to help someone who is going through rehab from alcohol, you need to help them steer clear of triggers.
Certain places, activities, or people can cause an addict to crave alcohol again. These could include former drinking buddies, parties and other social events where a lot of alcohol will be served, and places where they used to drink often.
Helping your friend or family member replace these negative people, places, and activities with positive ones that they can enjoy will help them avoid and ultimately overcome triggers.
Use Tough Love
When an alcoholic in your life simply isn’t listening to your advice or isn’t understanding just how much damage they are doing to themselves and how much hurt they are causing to their family, it is time to use some tough love. This can even serve to protect yourself and your family from an abusive alcoholic.
Get a restraining order from the alcoholic, if necessary, and refuse to pay any bail money if the individual ends up i prison. Also tell them that you will not be giving them any money at all, as doing so could result in them spending it on more alcohol. And if the person is living in your home for free, have them start paying rent. Withholding financial support and being a little strict in this way could finally entice the person to go to rehab and change their ways.
Dealing with an alcoholic can certainly be difficult, but there are ways to convince the person to get the help that they need to finally kick their addiction. Remember to be supportive and offer options so the person doesn’t feel helpless or attacked.
