Don’t Lie or Make Excuses For Them
If you really want to help your alcoholic spouse, child or loved one, you cannot afford to be an enabler. Don’t drink with them and don’t allow them to blackmail or manipulate you to buy drinks for them.
Though it may not be easy, you should not lie for them to their work colleagues, bosses, friends and other family members. Overcome the desire to cover up their drinking by lying to others or making excuses on their behalf. This shield them from the magnitude of the problem and will not help them quit.
Don’t give in to any silly promises you know they won’t keep, only work with their actions. You are helping them more if you remain firm.
Don’t Judge Them
One of the major causes of alcoholism are emotional problems; judging, criticizing and labeling them only contributes to their emotional wounds. If you try to shame them it will only feed the alcoholism because it will give them a reason to drink. This is because addicts usually turn to their addictions in the face of emotions such as fear, shame and guilt.
However, you mus not confuse being truthful with judging your alcoholic loved one. While you should not nag them, every time an opportunity present itself, put things in perspective by speaking truthfully about their excessive drinking. Even when they get upset by it, you may choose be quiet but never sugar-coat the truth to make them feel good.
Find A Support Group
Support Groups like AA ( Alcoholics Anonymous) help both alcoholics and family members of alcoholics. How to support alcoholics and family members are often discussed and it is anonymous.
These support groups provide a lot of useful help and healing. Joining them may help convince your alcoholic loved one to join and also receive support to quit drinking.