Helping people addicted to alcohol
 

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Article #321: How to Help An Alcoholic

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An alcoholic can be helped to find helped early in the progression of the
freedom from alcohol. And, anyone can disease to avoid serious trouble, or the
help who has some counseling or ultimate oblivion.
interviewing ability. A Window of Opportunity
There are Two Main Signs of Alcoholism Problem drinkers and alcoholics will
Alcoholics suffer from an illness that eventually create a problem for
stops them seeing their real condition themselves, or with other people, or a
(denial) and a tolerance to alcohol that legal problem, or problems at work -
keeps them drinking beyond safe levels sometimes affecting all these areas at
(loss of control). the same time.
Denial of the Effect of Alcohol When this happens the drinker may be
Everyone uses denial. It is a normal feeling emotional pain and may be in a
subconscious way to carry out day to day 'window of opportunity' for listening to
activities without annoying interference. someone who cares, who really wants to
To illustrate; Stop for a minute and help, and who can help.
listen to the sounds around you. More Watch for these 'windows'.
than likely you will hear sounds that you Anyone Can Help
were not aware of previously. If you If you care and can see the suffering of
listened to these sounds constantly you the drinker you have what it takes to
would probably get an overload of noise help a problem drinker. You may be a
and may not be able to carry out your loved one, a family member, a friend, a
normal duties. work mate or a healthcare professional.
But denial does not just occur. It grows With a little help from experienced
over time and may be so deeply ingrained people you will learn the particular
in the subconscious that it is no longer action needed to enable anyone to see the
a decision to deny anything. reality of their problem and help them
In the noise example from above; denial take action to solve the problem.
begins as simple avoidance and minimizing Helping Plan
of noises around you. You build up a Over the past 65 years healthcare workers
resistance, a second nature of denial of have been trying out many types of
interfering noises by blocking out more counseling and helping plans for alcohol
and more. After awhile you are not aware abuse. Some action programs have stood
that you are blocking out anything. out as being consistently successful in
Alcoholics are no different. They just getting alcoholics into recovery.
block out another form of annoyance, the In these programs alcoholics are taken
amount they drink and the effect of their through a specific set of steps to
drinking. And, again it starts out in highlight the effects that alcohol is
small ways and builds over time. having on their lives.
Unfortunately for alcoholics their denial Disturb Denial
is contributing to the damage done by This process disturbs alcoholic denial
alcohol. and motivates the person to want to take
Loss of Control of Alcohol action.
Recent research suggests that alcoholics Motivation and Action Plan
are born with a genetic variation that But, more than motivation is needed. The
encourages them to drink. Males with alcoholic needs to know what to do and
alcoholic fathers need more alcohol to also support to carry out an action plan.
satisfy them than their non-afflicted A successful plan includes putting the
peers. They need to drink more to get the alcoholic in touch with other recovering
same affect as males without an alcoholic people immediately they make a decision
father. that they have a real problem.
Additionally, alcoholics develop changes Family and Friends of Alcoholics
at the cellular level in the brain. These A similar interview style may also be
changes actually demand more alcohol be applied to family and friends who may be
consumed and fed through these altered suffering from the effects of a loved
cells. In a similar way that we all ones drinking. They too may need
experience hunger for food and our bodies disturbance of their own denial and a
demand more food. Alcoholics have an workable action plan.
extra demand for alcohol. Compassion and Empathy
So we have two aspects making an The person applying such a program needs
alcoholic drink more alcohol. There is to have compassion and empathy for the
the genetic demand for more and a change alcoholic. An understanding of the inner
in the brain cells demanding more. pain and remorse they are suffering is
Loss of Control plus Denial of Effects essential.
An alcoholic has slowly built up a If you can, try to identify someone who
subconscious defense about how much is can help. Doctors, counselors and
drunk and the effect it is having. And, psychologists are a good starting point.
the alcoholic body demands more in the Or, if you are so inclined, get the
two ways discussed above. training yourself.
One would imagine that in these Be ready for the next 'window of
circumstances an alcoholic is doomed to opportunity'. When you see one
oblivion. Many do continue to the approaching gently offer to put them in
ultimate oblivion. touch with the helper. If you have gained
But, alcoholics can be helped - in the the necessary knowledge you will know
right circumstances. And they can be what to do.






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