Your friends are essentially the family that you choose to have for yourself. They will be there for you through both good and bad times, and you will have some amazing memories together.
One of the biggest responsibilities of being a good friend is to make sure you support them through the hard times, which may well include helping them get to grips with their addiction to alcohol. When a friend is going through such a rough patch as this, you will need to become knowledgeable about what they are going to need quickly if you want to be there for them. This guide has compiled some essential information that you will need to move forward and help them reclaim their life.
Some facts
There are lots of misconceptions when it comes to the public perception of addiction and alcohol abuse specifically. To help combat this, taking on board some useful facts about alcoholism will help you both out. For example, did you know:
- Alcoholism can be caused for many reasons, ranging from a genetic predisposition to dealing with trauma in an unhealthy way.
- Alcoholism can actually change the personality of the person who is addicted.
- Addiction happens in two ways simultaneously: Mental dependency and physical dependency.
Having the difficult conversation
Now you have some facts under your belt; you need to get some tips on talking to your friend about their alcohol addiction. This will never be an easy conversation to have, but there are some things which you can do to make it easier.
For example, making sure the friend you are talking to is in a place that they feel comfortable which is not in public is essential because otherwise, they could feel cornered and embarrassed. Having other friends and even members of their family present will not only help to support your friend but will be there to back you up during the conversation.
The treatment
The next step will be helping the friend you care about to get access to the best care out there for recovering alcoholics. Alcohol rehab Los Angeles is a great place to look into the see the high standard of care that can be used by your friend. An intensive residential stay can help them to stop using alcohol in a safe and supportive environment where the chance of relapse is second to none. A place such as this will also help equip them with the emotional intelligence to resist urges and triggers to use again once they have gotten sober the first time.
What happens after treatment?
After treatment, the best thing you can do as their friend is to find ways of socializing with them that don’t involve alcohol or the temptation of it. Joining a gym or running club together is always a good way to spend time while focusing on improving their health. Another idea could be to have dinner at each other’s houses once a week and try out new, tasty recipes.
