| If the person that you live with wants to stop drinking, | | | | Offer to stop drinking in front of them if you drink. This |
| you have to help as well. When an alcoholic wants to | | | | is important until the alcoholic feels comfortable with |
| stop, you have to give up a few things that you may | | | | what they are accomplishing. If the person is trying to |
| enjoy. The person will need your support when they | | | | refrain from drinking and attending meetings, you do |
| are trying to stop the drinking and change. This is not | | | | not want to be drinking in front of him or her. You have |
| easy for the person to do and you have to be the | | | | to make some changes as well. You cannot sit and |
| strong one again. You have to offer encouragement | | | | drink even a few cocktails in front of them because |
| and not offer judgment. Judging the alcoholic that is | | | | the urge to drink for them will be strong until they learn |
| asking for help is not going to work. You have to offer | | | | how to control those urges. They may have an urge |
| compassion and support. They are not just doing this | | | | and slip, but you could offer help there as well. |
| for themselves. They are doing it for you as well. | | | | Offer to be with them whenever they feel a need to |
| Talk with them about what they are doing. This should | | | | drink. If they feel the urge to drink coming, you can be |
| be done when they are not drinking. You can calmly | | | | there for the person. Make the thoughts and urges go |
| explain how the drinking is affecting the family. You | | | | away by offering to go for a walk or to take a ride. If |
| can tell them how it has affected your children and | | | | you have never had an addiction, you cannot for a |
| your own feelings. In most cases, the alcoholic does | | | | minute understand how the person feels inside. It is |
| not even realize what he or she has done to the | | | | hard to control the urge if the person has been drinking |
| family. They never take the time to see how their | | | | for so long. Do something or go to a diner for a few |
| drinking affects anyone. All they know is that they | | | | coffees and just talk. |
| were doing what they wanted to do. | | | | When the person wants to drink, think of something |
| Make sure that the person knows that you will stand | | | | else the two of you could do instead. This is the best |
| by them through this time. This is probably one of the | | | | thing you could do for someone that wants to quit |
| hardest things to do, but if you care about this person, | | | | drinking, but is have problems with it. You have to be |
| you have to stand by them and offer any support that | | | | strong and offer to listen or just sit and hold their hand. |
| you can. If they join AA and continue to attend | | | | You have to be supportive and do whatever you can |
| meetings, the 12-step program could bring up some | | | | to make sure that they have another option to drinking. |
| bad memories that you do not want to hear, but you | | | | It is not easy to overcome an addiction, but with your |
| must listen and forgive or at least try. This is the | | | | support and the help of a group or treatment, they can |
| hardest part of the 12-step program. It can bring back | | | | succeed. |
| some horrible memories that could be very upsetting. | | | | |