Alcohol addiction can take a toll on the person who is addicted, as well as on their friends and family. People need the support of their loved ones, as well as the support and guidance of professionals at a reputable addiction clinic to help them overcome their addiction and create a healthier and more rewarding lifestyle.
If you are the friend or family member of someone who is in the grips of alcohol abuse, there are plenty of things you can do to support them and help them choose to get addiction treatment. Here are just a few of the things you can do:
Once someone starts abusing alcohol heavily, they are likely to change a lot. They may become more depressed, irritable, or irresponsible, among other things, and they may start blowing off work or mistreating their friends or family. Most of the time, they don’t even realize that such changes have happened or that they are as severe as they are.
Pointing out these changes can help the person see how their alcohol addiction has negatively impacted their lives. But you need to be careful not to be accusatory or judgmental when sharing these observations. You don’t want the person to become angry or defensive and to retreat further into alcohol abuse. Use objective language, such as saying, “I’ve noticed that you used to show up to work on time consistently, but now you are regularly late or missing days.” Or, “I’ve noticed that you used to spend a lot of time with friends, but now you spend a lot of time by yourself.”
You are likely trying to talk to your loved one about their alcohol addiction because you care about their health and happiness and want them to get better. When you focus on this, it is easier for the person to feel your love and concern so that they don’t active defensively.
When you talk to your loved one, talk about your concerns for their safety. Talk about specific instances, and use objective language. You might talk about how you are concerned when they stay out late at bars, they drive after drinking, or they drink to the point of blacking out, for example.
Don’t just put the onus on the person to work out their problems and defeat their addiction. That’s a very tough struggle even when the person has the right addiction counseling and treatment team. Everyone needs help to get through it.
Make it clear that you are ready to help the person get through this by asking what you can do to help. You may have boundaries about what you are willing to do, and you can enforce those. But you should also be prepared to offer alternatives to show how you are willing to do something to help, even if it’s not the first thing suggested.
Not everyone is going to be ready to get the help they need when you bring up your concerns. You can’t make anyone do what you want them to do or what you think they should do. But you can support them so that they are ready to make healthy changes later.
Make it clear that you are ready to support the person when they are ready to get help. You can put your own boundaries in place so that you are not further harmed by the person’s alcohol abuse, but you can let them know that you are ready to step up when they are ready to get the help they need.
Alcohol abuse can tear apart a person’s life, and it can difficult watching that happen to someone you love. You can support your loved one and help them make the changes they need to make by following these tips. You can also get your own addiction counseling to help you deal with your own feelings as you support your loved who is struggling with alcohol addiction.
Corebella Health and Wellness has services for those who are struggling with addiction, as well their loved ones, in Glendale and Tempe. We offer a range of treatment options, including individual and group counseling for both the addicts and their family members. We also offer wellness services to promote an overall healthy lifestyle once the initial withdrawal phase has passed. Call us today to learn more about our addiction treatment options in Glendale and Tempe.
2600 E Southern Ave Suite E-1
Tempe, Arizona 85282
Office: (480) 409-0322
5700 W Olive Ave, Suite 107
Glendale, AZ 85302
Office: (602) 4929595
6565 E Greenway Parkway
Suite 102, Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Office: (602) 649-0677
Email: [email protected]
FAX: 877-559-2816
Kendahl is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) skilled in trauma-informed care, centered in a strengths-based lens. Kendahl believes that no person is broken, and everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect while trusting their own inherent worth.
Kendahl specializes in creating safe and inclusive environments to provide effective client-centered care, where all people can feel accepted, seen, and valued during their healing journey.
Kendahl is passionate about removing barriers to treatment for all, within a collective and collaborative community. As an advocate for human rights, Kendahl utilizes social work ethics and social justice to drive their passion for serving others. As an artist and mentor turned behavioral health professional, Kendahl conscientiously integrates the creative process and best evidence-based practices, to guide their vision, and model a path to holistic healing.
Dr. Nicki Rippeteau grew up in suburban Detroit and in Missouri. She graduated from University of Central Missouri and University of Missouri-Kansas City school of medicine. She trained at the Mayo Clinic and remained on staff at Mayo for 5 years, receiving Board Certification in Anesthesiology.
Dr. Rippeteau practiced Anesthesiology and Interventional Pain Management in Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri for over 30 years.
The last several years, she has been committed to the practice of Addiction Medicine, emphasizing a holistic approach, addressing needs of both the body and the mind.
When not practicing medicine, she likes to cook and enjoys spending time with her two dogs, family, and especially her grandchildren.
Dr. M. Khoury is a graduate of Michigan State University. He obtained his medical degree at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. His residency was in Family Medicine as part of the William Beaumont hospital system. He moved to Arizona in 2001.
Dr. Khoury has over twenty-five years of experience in primary and urgent care. He served as an urgent care director for the Honor Health System. Dr. Khoury is board certified in Family Medicine, a member of The American Family Physicians and a member of American Medical Association. Dr. Khoury has a special interest in addiction medicine. He enjoys making a difference in people’s lives. He looks forward to helping people change their lives for the better and help them see that there is a bright future ahead of them.
He enjoys traveling and his favorite destinations to visit have been Europe and Mexico. He likes to watch football every Sunday and cheers on The Arizona Cardinals. Dr. Khoury loves to spend time with his family. He enjoys taking his two daughters and his wife to new restaurants and local attractions such as the Phoenix Zoo, learning from the local museums and strolling through the Desert Botanical Garden as a family.
With the growing concerns around the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we want to take a moment to reassure our Corebella family that we are taking all the necessary precautions to ensure your health and safety as we continue to operate. We know how important our service can be during this time of need. That’s why our doors will remain open for our patients and anyone in need of our services.
At Corebella we practice rigorous cleaning and sanitation procedures and we have implemented extra precautions to ensure that our clinics remain safe and comfortable places.
We are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to follow the guidelines from the CDC and public health experts. The health and wellbeing of our patients, employees, and community is our top priority.
You can reach our Tempe office by phone at (480) 409-0322 or our Glendale office at (602) 492-9595. You can also schedule your appointment or submit your questions online at our contact page https://www.corebellawellness.com/contact/
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The Corebella Team