The Truth - What You Need To Stop Doing If You Love an Alcoholic
Loving an alcoholic is one of the most noble and difficult things you could ever do. However, the truth is it is going to take a toll on you. It can even make you question whether you are doing the right thing. It does not matter if your loved one is in alcohol rehab left or not, you need to manage your own emotional health at the same time. Here are some of the things you need to stop doing if you love an alcoholic.
Blaming Yourself : It is easy to blame yourself for someone else's problems. You question whether you have done something that drives them to drink in the first place. It is even worse when the other person claims it is your fault they drink. You need to take this on the chin and believe that it is the alcohol talking. You have done nothing wrong, and you should ignore anything they say whilst they are drunk.
Controlling It : Never try to control someone else's drinking. You will run yourself into the ground trying to do it. Your loved one needs a professional drug rehab centrefor something like this. The chances are each time you try to control it they will resist and it will only convince them to keep on drinking. Your best option is to let them go and keep trying to convince them to seek help.
Curing It : Even if your loved one is willing to let you help them cure their alcoholism, you must not do this. Helping them can cause additional medical complaints that you will not be able to handle. Are you going to have the power to control someone who is caught in the middle of a relapse? The chances are you will not. Never try to cure alcoholism. Point them in the right direction for where they can get the help they really need.
Don't Accept It : We have discussed the importance of not trying to act against someone who drinks heavily. What we also need to reinforce is that you should not accept abusive behaviour or the fact they want to drink themselves to death. Do not lose hope with them and do not give up on them. Keep trying to convince them to find help. If the relationship does become abusive, you need to consider yourself first. You always have choices available to you and you should not feel obligated to stick around if someone does become abusive. Keep trying to help them, but do not put yourself in harm's way in the process.
Enabling Them : Loved ones often fall victim to enabling the ones they love. Rehab clinics commonly have to educate families on how they should behave around someone who is afflicted with alcoholism. There are many ways you can enable someone. It can be as simple as giving them money to go to the shops to buy alcohol or as serious as actively supplying them with alcohol. You should not actively try to fight someone away from alcohol, but this does not mean you have to start giving it to him or her as a gift. Enabling acts are not done out of love. They are done out of fear and self-delusion. Do not inadvertently become a supporter of alcoholism.
