How to Live with an Alcoholic

Alcoholism is difficult to live with — not just for the person with the addiction, who usually hides multitudes of pain and trauma that they try to "drink away," but also for their loved ones and relatives. It's especially hard if you live in the same household as an alcoholic. You witness all their ups and downs up close and deal with interruptions to your own life too. 

Some decide they can't take it anymore, but many family members stick by the addict in their life no matter what. That is a brave choice, but also a painful one.

The world of alcoholism is dark and depressing

The world of alcoholism is dark and depressing. When someone becomes addicted to alcohol the effects ripple throughout the family.  While living a life suffering from chronic alcohol abuse is very difficult for the addict, there are also family members and loved ones who suffer the painful effects of alcoholism as well. Alcoholism is a chronic and debilitating disease which is an equal opportunity destroyer, not caring who is hurt or killed and discriminating against no one.

It can be extremely hard for someone who is addicted to alcohol to seek the services of a professional alcohol treatment program.  Alcoholics will commonly deny having a problem; however, health complications and legal problems may be enough to spur the person into rehab.  There are many things that the family and loved ones of an alcoholic can do in order to minimize the effects felt by alcoholism and help the alcoholic realize the truth of the situation.

One of the most important things a family can do in order to help an alcoholic is early intervention.  Alcohol use among teens is a growing problem all across the nation and if families want to help it is a good idea to confront the situation and encourage the youngster to seek rehab.  The parents of a teen can prevent alcohol use by exemplifying an alcohol-free lifestyle and leading by example.  The teen should be talked to openly and know what type of behavior is expected of them from the start and understand the consequences of alcohol abuse.

For families living with an alcoholic

For families living with an alcoholic, support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can be a godsend.  The fellowship of AA was first established in 1935 and helps recovering alcoholics, as well as families of alcoholics, by providing support and guidance using the principles of the 12-step program.  AA is a powerful resource for families of an alcoholic and can be of great help to those trying to live with an alcoholic.

Al-Anon and Alateen was formed by family members of people recovering from alcoholism.  Al-Anon is a group for those who are affected by someone’s alcohol addiction.  Through sharing stories, the family gains a better understanding of how the disease of alcoholism affects others.  Al-Anon practices the same 12-step program offered by AA and helps others learn to detach from the situation and forgive the addict.  Alateen is a group which is an asset for teens children of alcoholics and helps youngsters understand alcoholism and what they can do to better cope when living with an alcoholic.

There are many short and long-term effects associated with alcoholism which will affect the family and loved ones of an alcoholic.  Because of physical health consequences, mental health effects, alcohol dependency, tolerance and cravings, a person will have a desire to continue drinking alcohol even after experiencing the negative consequences that can result.  In order to live with alcoholic, family members must never do anything to enable the alcoholic, never excuse bad behavior and always seek to motivate the alcoholic into treatment.

Read More: The best approach to alcoholism recovery

The desperate search for a solution to alcoholism is felt by families of alcoholics all over the country.  It can be a baffling, confusing and painful life when loving an alcoholic, the desire to drink is controlling an alcoholic and nothing can help until the person is ready to stop drinking alcohol.  The best way to adjust to life with an alcoholic is to become educated about the disease, use support groups, if necessary distancing oneself from an alcoholic might be necessary if violent or aggressive behavior is a problem.  It is important that a family takes precautionary measures in order to control the affects of alcoholism on their life and with the right education and information, it is possible to still love an alcoholic, but to have the quality of life the family very much deserves.