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How to Support Alcohol Recovery

Alcohol is easy to obtain and difficult to avoid. There is simply no escape from it.

There are many ways to support alcohol recovery. It is extremely important once the addict is released from treatment to return to a clean environment; free of any alcohol or drugs. This responsibility should be taken care of by either friends or family, as the temptation would be too great for the addict to remove the offending material by him/her self. The addict should not be left alone for long periods of time.

During the initial adjustment period, it can be difficult to find ways of filling spare moments. It is helpful for the addict to be distracted from negative thinking and boredom. It is also essential for the addict to be kept from falling back into old patterns or situations that trigger use. Friends and family members should refrain from drinking or being intoxicated when they are around the individual.

The people that were included in the “drinking circle” should be avoided at all costs regardless of their intentions, as they would more than likely just try to coax the individual into drinking again. Places where alcohol is provided should also be avoided. During alcohol recovery the willpower is still at a minimum and any temptation could be too great. It is helpful if the support group can include the involvement of regulated activities, to maintain physical fitness and to occupy the mind.

Communication should be honest and open with everyone involved. Alcohol recovery is not a shameful subject and should not be treated as such. The feelings and emotions of the family, friends, and the individual should all be taken into account and any problems or negative issues that arise should be dealt with immediately. When anger or fear are kept contained they tend to fester and grow, to later abrupt with unnatural force and into unhealthy outlets. Keeping emotions bottled up is a trait of the addictive personality and often lead to use as they spiral out of control.

If there is a situation that can not be handled by the support group then professional help should be contacted as soon as possible. It requires a lot of effort to go through recovery and it is important not to undo or erase any accomplished work. It is not the end of the world if the individual relapses. It happens. It is essential however that the relapse be prevented from becoming chronic, or turning into multiple circumstances. The more often the individual “slips” the more damage it does in detaining recovery.

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Topics: Alcohol |

One Response to “How to Support Alcohol Recovery”

  1. Preparing for rehab | 1800NoDrugs Says:
    October 11th, 2007 at 4:04 pm

    […] patient, and letting him or her talk, or not talk, depending on the patient’s preference, then, family members or whoever, pull up a chair and get […]

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