There’s nothing worse than feeling helpless as you watch someone you care deeply for struggle with a problem. Addiction, however, is much more than just a basic problem- it runs deep and requires a lot of work to overcome. If you have someone in your life that has a serious drinking problem and you cannot stand the thought of turning your back on them, then you need to do something about it. It’s alright if you don’t know where to begin because we’ve created this simple guide to help you take action immediately that will prove to be effective.

Arm Yourself With Information

Before you do anything, you need to make sure that you know everything there is to know about this condition. You have to accept that while a part of it is based on personal choice, addiction is much more complex and delves deep into a person’s psyche where they may actually feel trapped. So in a way, it’s almost as if they don’t have a choice because they are victims of themselves. Read up on the psychology behind it and look into a forum where you can get a better understanding of how the alcoholic mind works. This will help a great deal when it comes to communicating with your loved one. You’ll be able to genuinely say you know what they’re going to and it will have substance.

Learn How to Open & Discuss the Subject With Them

Once you have the information you need, make sure that you understand that you need to approach the subject in a way where you don’t risk losing their trust. It’s important that you don’t make them feel like they’re being attacked or judged. They need to know that you’re on their side and that it’s okay to open up to you. You also need to pick the right time to speak to them. You cannot expect a rational reaction if you confront them at a time where they are under the influence or recovering from a hangover. Take them to an outdoor but private setting and make sure that you make it a point to make them feel safe. This way, you’ll be able to talk openly to one another, and the goal is to get them to accept that the condition they are in is not ideal and that they need help. Once they accept and admit this to themselves, then you can move forward to the next step.

Present Them With Treatment Options

There are a number of options when it comes to treating alcohol addiction. This can vary from at-home treatment to meetings, to a full period of time staying at a rehab clinic. Taking Canada as an example, they have clinics all over the country that are reliable and certified to treat people with all kinds of addiction. The services provided at iRecover.ca gives you a look into how rehab clinics work and the process that goes into helping alcoholics recover. It’s important that you find a clinic in your area and contact them to understand what options are available, and then present them to your loved one. You can start off by trying out the treatment from home online, and if that proves to be too difficult, it might be time to go to rehab.


Aim to Remove Triggers

Getting through rehab is only half the victory of overcoming addiction. It’s important that once they’re out, that all triggers are removed. This includes the company of people that enabled the addiction and even the location. If you find that the place where they live holds too many triggers, like even a club or a restaurant that entices them to take a drink, then it’s definitely time to consider moving to a new area.

Surround them With Support

If you ever thought that the saying love makes the world go round was just a myth- it’s not. When a person is working through getting over an addiction, nothing is more effective than the support of the people around them. It’s important that you bring their friends and family together to be around them as much as possible so that they understand that they have a support system to fall back on to.

Dealing with a drinking problem is not easy, to say the least, and it’s just as hard to be the person looking in from the outside. This is why if you use the advice given here, you’ll be able to lend a helping hand and actually walk your loved one away and out of their addiction and give them a new lease on life.

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