Thursday, December 13, 2012

Helping the Alcoholic by Not Helping

If you think one of your friends or family members needs an alcohol awareness class, you need to understand that no one gets help until they are ready. As a drug and alcohol counselor for ten years I saw time and time again, addicts and alcoholics ordered by the judge to attend rehab or counseling. The individual showed up and went through the motions, but never really engaged and got anything out of the treatments.

Addicts typically don't get better unless they truly want to get better. So if you are frustrated that you can't help your friend or family member, remember that it's not up to you to save them. Your power is limited and you can only help yourself. This may mean attending Al-anon meetings or setting boundaries with that person.

The paradox is that you may help these people best by not trying to help them at all. It is possible that when you step out of the "parent role" they may come to the realization that they are being self-destructive and want to stop.

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