If someone that you love is suffering because of their excess drinking, you probably want to step in and help them to get better as quickly as possible, including looking for short term treatment Colorado. While getting professional help for your friend or loved one is probably the most helpful thing that you can do for them, there are other ways that you can help to be supportive while they are undergoing treatment. However, if you don’t have a lot of experience with substance abuse or alcohol dependency, you may be overwhelmed by your options and unsure of how to proceed with best helping your loved one. Fortunately, you don’t have to go it alone. Instead, learn from the experiences of people who have come before you and use the wisdom that they have gained to guide you as you attempt to help your loved one.
The first step for most people who are dealing with alcoholism is finding a safe alcohol detox facility. Though it may be tempting to simply quit drinking at home and hope for the best, detoxing from alcohol can be extremely dangerous, or even deadly, if done without medical supervision. This is especially true for people who have been drinking a large quantity of alcohol, frequently, for a long time. Whatever you do, don’t let your loved one try to quit drinking suddenly without any help from doctors or other medical professionals. This can end up with them in the emergency room and can slow down their eventual recovery by making their medical situation worse. Instead, look for a well-respected facility that has medical staff available to help your friend or family member get through the worst parts of alcohol withdrawal safely.
Next, look for therapists and other addiction specialists who can help your loved one to deal with their substance abuse issues in the immediate present. Even while they are going through their physical withdrawal from alcohol, it is necessary that your friend or family member is getting to talk to a professional about what they are experiencing. While they will almost certainly need long-term, ongoing therapy as well, the first step is making sure they are supported during their first days of sobriety. Again, it may be tempting to try to do this yourself and give your friend emotional support while keeping them at home, but this can be dangerous when you’re not educated in the field of dependency and psychology. Trust the experts who know what they are doing and take their advice instead of trying to figure it all out yourself.
Once your friend or a family member has gotten through the first days and weeks of sobriety, it’s time to start thinking long-term. Try to help your loved one to find a support group and system that will help them deal with their alcohol use and abuse going forward. Along with traditional support groups an rehabilitation, consider looking for a therapist that can help your loved one deal with the underlying issues that may have caused them to initially turn to alcohol. There may be trauma from their early childhood, a traumatic event that they experienced at some point, or a mental illness that has gone undiagnosed. Only a professional therapist can help your loved one uncover what’s going on and help them deal with their problems in a truly healthy way.
Finally, make sure that you are a positive influence on your loved one in the months and years ahead. Now that you know they are prone to abusing alcohol, be sure to avoid making it a temptation at social events. It can be difficult to remain sober when all of your friends and family are drinking, especially if get-togethers are held at a local bar or pub. Try to encourage your social group or family to choose outings and locations that either avoid alcohol entirely or make it easy to pass up. Similarly, when you spend time with your friend, try to have a positive outlook and avoid topics that may make your loved one tempted or depressed. Don’t talk about poor decisions that your friend made in the past or dwell on negative repercussions from their previous actions. After all, they’re in recovery now and doing the best they can to improve. The best thing you can do is to support them and to keep an optimistic, cheerful attitude as you look forward to the future.
