HOW CAN I HELP MY LOVED ONE QUIT DRINKING?
There is no magic formula that enables you to help someone stop drinking. Alcoholism is a complex problem, with many related issues. The Al-Anon program may help you find healthier ways to respond to the challenges you experience because of someone else’s drinking.
There are no easy answers, but Al‑Anon meetings offer the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others who have faced similar problems. By listening to Al‑Anon members share, you can hear how they came to understand their own role in this family illness and how Al-Anon works for them.
Some research shows that when a problem drinker does choose to enter a recovery program, their chances for success are improved when they are supported by family members who themselves are in a recovery program such as Al‑Anon.
Are You Living With an Alcoholic Spouse or Partner?
Are you involved with someone whose drinking is bothering you? How do you cope with an intimate relationship that is affected by alcoholism? Living with a spouse, partner or significant other who exhibits a drinking problem can have devastating effects on our emotional well-being, our personal relationships, our professional life and sometimes even our physical health.
Al-Anon may give you the support and tools you need to deal with the effects of alcoholism on very important relationships.
Are You Concerned About an Alcoholic Child?
Trying to cope with a son’s or daughter’s alcohol abuse is one of the most difficult challenges in life. Their problems become ours, as objectivity goes out the window. It becomes a never-ending cycle of crisis and rescue. We pay for doctors’ bills, treatment center stays, attorneys’ fees, rent, food and cars, often at the expense of our own financial security. It is difficult to say no because of the underlying fear that, somehow, we’ve caused the problem.
Many people come to Al‑Anon for the support and understanding they need to handle this heart-breaking situation.
Are You a Teenager Living With an Alcoholic?
One in four children under age 18 in the United States is affected by a parent’s abuse of alcohol. Growing up in a home where one or both parents are alcoholics can have life-altering effects on children, with long-lasting emotional and psychological scars.
Alateen is for teenagers affected by alcoholism in a family member or friend. There are many legal requirements that ensure that Alateen meetings are safe for these young people. In Israel, unfortunately, there are so far no Alateen meetings. However, teens are welcome to join Al-Anon meetings here. Click HERE for Alateen meetings online.
Are You Affected by an Alcoholic Brother or Sister?
Has your brother or sister ever called you late at night, drunk, asking you for money or a place to stay? It can be painful to witness the downward spiral of a sibling suffering from alcoholism. As a family disease, alcoholism takes its toll on every family member in a different way. So, if someone close to you drinks too much, why not explore the help offered by Al-Anon Family Groups?
Are You Worried about a Grandchild who is Affected by a Parent’s Alcoholism?
When alcoholism is part of the family dynamic, grandparents are often the ones stepping in to care for the children. The parents may be in treatment, in jail, or simply incapable of tending to the daily needs of raising a family due to their alcohol addiction. As a grandparent, you may feel instinctively that you should help. Sometimes providing shelter, money, clothing and food becomes a necessity, not a choice. But is it possible to break the cycle of pain, anger and sadness that permeates alcoholic situations involving grandchildren? Al-Anon might help.
Are You Worried About an Alcoholic Friend?
Sometimes, the person with the drinking problem is someone we love and care for deeply. You may be watching helplessly as that person’s life slowly unravels due to their poor choices. They may have lost their job, have trouble with their marriage or be in trouble with the law but heavy drinkers tend to minimize it all.
In Al-Anon you feel understood and can get the help you need to deal with the effects of your loved one on your life.