It’s been a long day at work, let’s go have a drink. Let’s go shopping, but first let’s go have a drink. These statements seem okay, but they can turn into a problem. 1 in 12 American adults are alcoholics. Many factors contribute to why alcoholics drink, for some drinking helps numb emotional pain or stress they might be experiencing. Emotional pain or stress can come from a death in the family, divorce, loss of a job, or anxiety disorders. There are many ways to help the alcoholic deal with the emotional pain without drinking.
Excessive use of alcohol is a good signal of emotional pain and the first sign of addiction, especially when it comes out of the blue like in my case. After my dad passed away, my sister and I noticed my mother started to drink. At first we did not think anything of it until it started to affect her everyday life. Other indicators of alcohol addiction we noticed was she had given up her hobbies, pushed away her friends, couldn’t do anything without a drink first, and admitted to drinking and driving. We realized her drinking was becoming a serious problem and she needed help.
My sister and I decided to talk to my mom in a neutral place, like a coffee shop. Talking to the alcoholic when they are sober is a good idea. Let the alcoholic lead the discussion after some prompting of the underlying cause of the drinking and try to resolve. Many are in denial, it is important to make them see the harmful effects their drinking is having on their lives and their loved ones lives. Our mother did admit she had a problem and stated it was so easy to have a drink after work or when out to eat and it quickly spiraled out of control. My sister and I talked to her about the hobbies she had neglected and the friends she had shut out. She agreed to let those things back into her life and stop the excessive drinking.
Isolation accompanies alcohol abuse led by emotional pain, so if an ultimatum has to be given make it the last resort and stick to it. Ideally these ideas will help alcoholics. Unfortunately, my mother goes for long periods of being sober and then drowning in her alcoholic denials. If it is important to you, take those first steps and keep trying and talking to that person to get the treatment they need.
Guest Blogger: Jennifer Hopkins
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