Loving an Alcoholic
If you love someone who abuses alcohol, you want more than anything to help that person. Read on to ensure the help you are providing isn’t causing more suffering and visit Al-Anon to take the quiz.
Making Excuses
Have you ever made excuses or lied to protect your loved one’s behavior from being discovered? If so, Al-Anon can teach you how to avoid enabling your alcoholic. Have you ever…
- Made excuses for why they missed work or social events?
- Lied about how they lost a job or about legal troubles?
- Cleaned up after him or her, literally or figuratively?
- Smoothed over tense situations they caused or played the peacemaker?
- Put them to bed or helped them undress?
- Solved their financial or legal problems?
- Picked them up or bailed them out of jail?
- Loaned them money or paid their bills?
- Sacrificed your own needs, job, plans, happiness, peace, well-being?
The Al-Anon slogan, “Live and Let Live” teaches us to let our alcoholics live their lives so we can live ours.
Helping or Hurting
If you’ve done any of the above, you may be hurting more than helping. When you constantly solve his or her problems, your alcoholic has no incentive to change behavior. The addict is not faced with the responsibility or the consequences of their behaviors. Reciting Al-Anon’s Serenity Prayer can help you find peace.
Changing Your Behavior
The first action you can take to support your alcoholic is to change your own behavior. Al-Anon can teach you to love in a new way, one that doesn’t support the destructive behavior of addiction. It’s not easy, but through the 12 Steps of Al-Anon, you can take it “One Day At A Time”.
Find an Al-Anon Meeting
Al-Anon has free and supportive meetings all across the country. Find an Al-Anon meeting here
D’Amore Healthcare is a dual diagnosis and substance abuse addiction treatment center in Orange County, CA.
We provide information and treatment for people dealing with the life-shattering cycle of mental illness and addiction.
If someone needs immediate help, call us 24 hours a day at 714.375.1110 or contact us online.
