Alcoholics: How Do You Help Your Partner?

The decision to start withdrawal is entirely up to the addict. You can be by their side, support them, and make them aware of the problem.

Alcoholism is a serious medical condition that affects many people. In addition to serious health problems, it usually also brings problems in other areas of life. For example, work, private life, family etc. are affected. Therefore , as soon as an alcoholic realizes his problem and has decided to start therapy, he needs the help, support, empathy, understanding and support of those around him Your patience. If your partner is an alcoholic, how can you help them?

alcoholism

Alcoholism is a disorder that represents an addiction to alcohol. In that sense, it’s not the same as alcohol abuse, which can happen at any given time.

Alcoholism is a disease that leads to high levels of physical dependence. In other words, a person cannot stop drinking because withdrawal symptoms prevent it. The alcoholic has to drink more and more to feel the same effect. In short, his body adapts to the consumption of alcohol.

On the other hand, alcoholism also causes emotional dependence. Consequently, getting out of this addiction is really difficult to achieve without the help of qualified professionals.

Like any other addiction, alcoholism can cause serious health problems as well as problems in the everyday life of the alcoholic . In fact, alcoholism has both physical and emotional effects. Not only on the addicted person, but also on the people around them .

For this reason, it is extremely important that you recognize the problem when you are addicted to alcohol. Seek help and start therapy. But what can you do if your partner is an alcoholic? How can you help him We’ll give you some tips below.

Help the alcoholic recognize their situation

Only the addict can make the decision to begin therapy and withdrawal. People around you can warn the person concerned , but they cannot force them to do something.

It is therefore helpful to empathize with the person concerned that alcohol is a problem. He needs help and support, but you shouldn’t blame him.

For example, you should avoid saying things like, “If you drink, you are obnoxious or make a fool of yourself.” On the contrary, you should approach your partner with empathy and sensitivity, without direct attacks. For example, say, “I know it’s hard …”, “I understand you, but …”.

Also, keep in mind that this attempt to talk about addiction should always be done in a moment of sobriety. There is no point in having your partner under the influence of alcohol.

You should be aware, however, that many addicts vehemently deny their addiction. In this sense, you are helping the person realize, but they turn against you because they think you are blaming or attacking them.

Therefore, always remember that you cannot force someone to help themselves if they don’t want to . If your partner is an alcoholic, your role is to raise awareness of their problem, but nothing more. If the other person insists they don’t want to get well or doesn’t understand that there is a problem, you shouldn’t blame yourself for it.

Never help an alcoholic drink

Your partner may ask you to buy alcohol. There are several reasons for this, such as:

• Maybe because he’s embarrassed when people see he’s buying more than one bottle.
• Maybe he’s already drunk.
• Or for other reasons.

However, you have to reject that outright. Rather, you have to make it clear that you do not agree with his addiction. You have to show him that you see her as a problem. So if he wants to drink he has to buy the alcohol himself. You shouldn’t be helping keep his addiction going.

Similarly, your partner may be looking for excuses to go out and drink. When you sense that his intention is to drink, be clear and precise and say no. We insist : You must not help him keep his addiction going .

Seek professional help

With therapy and professional help, the alcoholic can enjoy a full life again.

The rate of chronic alcoholics who have managed to recover from addiction without professional help is very low. So, if your partner is an alcoholic and realizes they have a problem and they are trying to seek help, then give them support.

There are addiction therapists who can guide you on this big step. There are also organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous that provide assistance to people with this type of addiction.

You can get involved by looking for a specialist. You can then join your partner, learn more, and talk to the therapist about what you should do to make their recovery successful.

You can also look for non-alcoholic activities together. For example, goes to lectures, the gym or a walk together. Remember that the addict needs to re-educate himself. In other words, he has to learn to have fun without alcohol.

Avoid stressful situations or situations that create a need for alcohol

This is always advisable, but even more so when the addict is in therapy. This can prevent relapses. One needs to be able to recognize the situations that are stressful for the addict and try to avoid them. Because stress makes him want to drink, which makes his recovery difficult.

Therefore, you should be vigilant and proactive to avoid such situations or moments for the alcoholic. That is not easy. However, your partner needs all your support and patience. Gi not b blame him, he is sick. Don’t attack him, he has problems . What you need to do is understand and support him, be there for him, and help his recovery.

Also, always remember that you cannot help someone who does not want to help themselves. Do not feel guilty if you are unsuccessful, you did everything you could.