At least one in every eight American adults has been diagnosed with Alcoholic Use Disorder (AUD). This amounts to about 12.7% of the population.
Creating a support system for your loved one can be the difference between having a successful recovery or not. It improves their chances of maintaining sobriety even after rehabilitation.
Yet, it’s challenging to find the right things to do or words to say during the recovery process.
Consider implementing these four tips on how to help a recovering alcoholic.
1. Work on Your Communication and Listening Skills
Efficient communication with a recovering alcoholic fosters the recovery process. Learn how to talk and listen to them without lecturing or passing judgment.
You should voice your concerns in a considerate way so that they’re aware of your support. This conversation may be uncomfortable, but it’s necessary for your relationship.
Share your expectations of the recovery process with them. Don’t sacrifice your emotional and mental wellbeing when helping a recovering alcoholic.
You can schedule a counseling session at alcohol treatment centers in NJ to improve on your communication and listening skills.
2. Pay Attention to Potential Signs of Relapse
Recovering alcoholic behavior may be occasionally characterized by relapse symptoms. Relapsing to substance abuse will not only disrupt the addict’s life, but also that of their family and friends. Thus, you should be keen on observing early alcohol addiction signs and addressing them immediately.
To identify these red flags, you must be mindful of their recovery process. Each recovering alcoholic’s signs of relapse are unique. Some of these signs include abrupt changes in mood and behavior and sudden loss of interest in hobbies.
To minimize or prevent relapses, you should monitor their progress to detect early signs. You should also develop a contingency plan by involving treatment providers.
3. Support Sobriety Without Enabling Them
If you’re dating a recovering alcoholic, you should support them. However, some of these actions may be enabling their alcoholic lifestyles.
Bailing them out of destructive situations and making excuses for these behaviors are ways of enabling recovering alcoholics. For instance, money from family and friends can be used to buy alcohol.
Support your loved ones by attending counseling sessions and researching the best rehab centers for them.
It’s counterproductive to drink or keep alcohol around them. If possible, get rid of any intoxicating substances around your home. You should make a complete lifestyle change to support your loved one’s recovery.
4. Stage Interventions
Apart from holding personal conversations with them, you could arrange for an intervention with family and close friends. This is a more effective approach especially if the personal discussions weren’t successful in persuading them to seek treatment for their condition.
Consider hiring a professional interventionist to lead the occasion. The intervention process should involve planning, sharing, and suggesting treatment options.
Learn How to Help a Recovering Alcoholic
Hire the expertise of trained professionals to teach you how to help a recovering alcoholic. Ensure you learn the many aspects of alcohol addiction such as health issues, potential triggers, enablement, and psychological changes.
It’ll be much easier to take care of a recovering alcoholic if you understand the addiction process. This will help prevent possible relapses.
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