Your Guide to Helping an Addicted Loved One
In this day and age, alcohol abuse and drug abuse are all too common. It seems as though every person has someone close to them suffering from a substance abuse issue. Whether it is family members, friends, co-workers, or even a significant other, the problem has infiltrated every part of society. For those with children affected by addiction, they may find themselves wondering how to help an alcoholic son.
Let me preface this by stating that I am by no means a mental health professional. I am writing this only because I have experience dealing with my adult child who suffers from alcohol use disorder. I hope that by sharing my experience, I can help to give hope to those suffering through something similar. My only goal is to offer support to any of the families dealing with this horrible family disease.
Addiction to whatever substance, whether it be drugs or alcohol, can be overcome, and recovery is possible. By seeking professional help, exploring treatment options, and giving love and support in the right way, you, too, can help your loved one in the recovery process.
The journey can begin today. Call the admissions team at Purpose Healing Center to discuss treatment options for your loved one’s drinking problem.
Recognizing the Signs of Alcohol Abuse
You must be vigilant and recognize the signs of a substance use disorder because alcohol use can quickly turn into alcohol abuse and then a full-blown alcohol addiction. I hope to draw from my experience with the issue to help you recognize if your loved ones are problem drinkers.
My son’s drinking seemed to be normal college partying at first. In the beginning, there was no legal trouble or physical health problems. I can almost guarantee he never originally intended to let things get as bad as they did.
The drinking escalated, and he quickly found himself experiencing cravings when he wasn’t drinking. He also started to experience serious negative consequences. Other family members recognized the issue before I did, and I feel bad for any of my unintended enabling behaviors.
His addiction began to manifest in other forms as well, culminating in heavy drug use as well as alcohol abuse. I started to see the signs: bloodshot eyes, nose bleeds, and never being at home. I began to see drug paraphernalia and alcohol bottles frequently. He lost his job and looked gaunt, weighing nowhere near a healthy weight for a man his size. It was time to confront him and plead that he seek help.
Seeking Addiction Treatment After Recognizing the Problem
I started setting healthy boundaries and let him know that he could not stay in my house anymore if he continued to use and drink. He needed intensive treatment. A quick search for treatment options near us gave us the information for Purpose Healing Center, and we called their confidential helpline.
He would enter treatment later that same week. He drank himself to the point of needing detoxification. The withdrawal symptoms would have been severe without the help of the doctors and nurses in the treatment center detox program at Purpose.
My Son Managed Withdrawals Safely in Medical Detox
After the withdrawal symptoms subsided, it was time to address the real issues that remained, the root cause of his feeling like he needed to abuse alcohol and substances. He worked with a substance abuse specialist to create a treatment plan individualized to suit his needs.
After completing the inpatient program, Purpose Healing Center would provide support through an outpatient program.
Their ongoing support has been a godsend for my son, and I am beyond grateful. He is spending time with family members again and attending family gatherings. His overall health has rebounded, and I, as a parent, couldn’t be happier.
Dual Diagnosis and How a Mental Health Issue Can Exacerbate Alcohol Abuse
Another aspect of my son’s journey was dealing with mental health disorders. He had been diagnosed with general anxiety and depression when he was around 19 years old. It was important for him to get mental health services at the same time as he received treatment for his substance abuse, as his alcohol misuse could be partially attributed to his mental disorders.
Purpose Healing Center was able to offer assistance with its dual diagnoses-focused program. He received treatment for his anxiety and depression while at the same time going to support groups for alcoholism.
According to the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) website, “Those with mental illness are more susceptible to addiction—substance abuse is twice as prevalent among adults with mental illness—because of the desire to self-medicate symptoms. Some people with mental illness may not even know that their substance use constitutes a disorder.”
Getting Treatment for Both Alcohol Abuse and Mental Health Issues
After getting a handle on his addiction to alcohol in conjunction with his mental health issues, he has begun thriving. He has started working with a licensed social worker to stay on top of attending support groups and meetings with his psychiatrist and psychologist.
I encourage anyone in a similar situation to seek treatment for their loved one’s drinking problem. Especially if there is a dual diagnosis situation, Purpose Healing Center has all the resources to help an adult child get clean and sober, as well as heal from past wounds and trauma.
The Dangers of Alcohol Withdrawals, A Potentially Lethal Transition
Alcohol use disorder takes its toll on your body. There are risks from chronically abusing alcohol, and there are also severe health risks from quitting alcohol cold turkey. The body’s response to the sudden cessation of alcohol consumption is called withdrawal.
Alcohol withdrawal can be deadly if a healthcare professional does not manage it. The most severe symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are delirium tremens. “[Some alcoholics] exhibit symptoms of severe alcohol withdrawal with profound confusion, autonomic hyperactivity, and cardiovascular collapse. This is defined as alcohol withdrawal delirium, more commonly known as delirium tremens (DT).” If a loved one is experiencing withdrawal in any facet, seek treatment immediately.
The first step in treating an alcohol use disorder is to detox the patient, not to allow them to wean off alcohol on their own. According to information on the National Institute of Health website, “…alcohol withdrawal syndrome can be treated using a tapering regimen of either benzodiazepines or gabapentin.” This means that a doctor must be consulted who can prescribe medications.
Alcohol use disorder is a disease, and to heal from this disease, it is important to take the appropriate steps in the proper order. The first step in that journey is a medically supervised detox. The team at Purpose Healing Center will be able to answer any more questions you may have about the detox process.
The Continuum of Care: Going From Inpatient to Outpatient Treatment
Many studies outline the extreme advantage my son had by stepping down in levels of care until he was almost a year sober.
The National Institute of Health explains that “Continuum of care” refers to a treatment system in which clients enter treatment at a level appropriate to their needs and then step up to more intense treatment or down to less intense treatment as needed.”
His path started with an inpatient detox facility, the one at Purpose Healing Center. After he successfully detoxed, he attended their inpatient program. Upon completion, he began attending their outpatient support groups. He has now finished their outpatient program and is currently attending aftercare meetings.
Fortunately for him, he never needed to digress back to a higher level of care. He continued making progress and is now flourishing, keeping that momentum in his recovery and always looking forward.
The beauty of these levels of care is that they allow for the creation of an individualized treatment plan for each individual’s needs. Purpose Healing Center was able to map and help him meet his goals, out his journey, and progress along his treatment plan.
Alcoholics Anonymous for Him and Al-Anon for Me
Alcoholics Anonymous is a 12-step group that has meetings all over the country. It is a support group that focuses on 12 steps to follow to achieve sobriety through spiritual means. Their success rate is unrivaled, and AA is considered to be the leading treatment option for alcohol use disorder.
Al-Anon is an offshoot of Alcoholics Anonymous and is geared towards the family members and loved ones of the alcoholic. I attended because I wanted to be able to more effectively support my alcoholic son.
Al-Anon is also a 12-step program, with the intended goal of finding peace with the fact that the behavior of your loved one is out of your control. I wanted to stop enabling behaviors that only served to further his alcohol addiction.
I have found peace in the support groups of Al-Anon. I would suggest anyone going through the struggle of watching a loved one suffer from alcohol dependence attend a meeting. It will not only help you find the tools to support your loved one, it will help you find peace within yourself.
Making Sure to Take Time for Myself, Practicing Self Care
Self-care is an important part of recovery and an important part of life. Even I, who doesn’t suffer from an alcohol use disorder, need to take time to do things I enjoy. These little resets allow me to continue to thrive and be the best person I can be for my family members.
My strategies include hikes in nature, meditation, taking naps, getting a massage, and even going to the lake to relax on the water. This is not an exhaustive list, and your self-care can be anything you enjoy doing that helps you relax.
My adult child, the person struggling with an alcohol use disorder, enjoys spending time alone sometimes to recharge his social battery. He spent so much time drinking that he had to figure out what he enjoyed after getting sober.
Trying new things has taught him that there is so much to do and see out there in the world. It has given him hope that his life in recovery doesn’t have to be mundane and boring. He thought to stop drinking meant to stop enjoying life because it was all that he knew to do to reward himself.
Sometimes, we go out fishing together, as nature is something that relaxes both of us, and we can do some caring for our mental health.
Final Thoughts on Helping an Alcoholic Son Recover
I think it is important to recognize what is enabling and what is helping your alcoholic son or alcoholic daughter recover. It is such a fine line, and sometimes, what we think is helping is hurting.
I would also recommend Purpose Healing Centers. I am eternally grateful they helped my son dig himself out of the hole he had found himself in. If you have any other questions about their program give their admissions a call today. They will be able to find all the resources for you and point you in the direction of recovery.
480-579-3319