Alcohol is usually seen as something fun, something everyone tries and drinks. You are the weird one if you do not drink during a big meet-up or at a party. It is embedded in our society that alcohol is just something normal, but is it really all fun and games? Cannabis is still illegal in many countries, but did you ever hear about someone beating people because they smoked a joint? Did you ever hear stories about chronic cannabis smokers who gambled their house?
Alcohol can become a serious issue for many people just because it is so easy to access. It can ruin families just because some companies want to earn a good buck selling it like it is water. When alcohol becomes a problem, it is usually up to the individual to solve it, not the one giving the substance. Fortunately, there is a way out of this. There is a way to help your family member.
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Going clean
This is one of the rare cases where the term “detoxification” is used properly. The first step in recovering from any kind of addictive substance is to go clean, meaning alcohol or drug detox to get it all out of one’s system. This step is almost always very hard for the individual due to both mental and physical addiction. You yourself can only provide support, but you cannot be there to help every step of the way.
Unless you ever went through detox yourself, you can never know what this can feel like. Even if you did, the process is not the same for everyone, meaning you cannot generalize. This is the most important concept to understand here. You should never set standards during this. You should never talk to your family members in a way that makes them feel like they need to do a chore. You should not rush them or compare them to other people in similar situations.
Patience
When it comes to alcohol abuse, being patient can seem like a bad tactic. You yourself could be the victim of this abuse, and you want it to be done with as soon as possible. However, if you just nag and tell them to step every day, they will not just stop. This is why it is important to be patient during this whole process and think about your words. Did you ever hear a story of someone stopping their addiction when someone told them to stop?
You did not hear about that because it never happened, the problem is much more complex. The only solution comes from patience and support for the family member. You need to start a dialog and talk to them about the problem in order to understand them. Of course, this is only the start and you will understand the complexity. This is why it is important to understand this concept of patience and support if you really want the abuse to end.
Professional help
You need to understand the scope of the things you can and cannot do to help your family members. You cannot do all of the work. That is a fact and something you should not be ashamed of. Talking to someone who can help them or help you help them is always a must. There is nothing wrong with seeking professional help. In fact, it is somewhat of a responsibility. It is a difficult problem, and you must get a real and objective grip if you want it solved.
Long-term solutions
Alcohol abuse is only solved with long-term solutions, everything else is temporary. Every long-term solution is unique, and thus it is tailored to the individual. There is no one universal solution that you can learn about and just apply to gain a happy ending. This is why, again, you need patience and dialog in order to achieve this solution. Just remember, it is not a silver bullet. Stopping an addiction is an active process along the whole way.
In Conclusion
It is quite unjust that there are not more people held accountable for alcoholism. It is always about the individual needing to solve this problem that did not need to occur. It is always them and people close to these people that suffer the most. All of this is happening while some people are filling their pockets with a whole lot of dollar bills.
It will stay like this until there is a major shift in how everyone sees alcohol. It will only be up to the individual and us to help the ones close to us overcome this complex problem. It is a long journey that is only filled with dread and more problems. Fortunately, it does get better over time, and the whole journey of overcoming alcohol abuse is always worth it.
