When someone is addicted to alcohol, they not only cause pain for themselves, but also for everyone they love. Dealing with an alcoholic is not easy and can be emotionally taxing on a person. The negative effects of addiction on family are wide-reaching and can bring on great amounts of stress. Understanding the effects on the family will help family members and friends to better understand how they can get help for their loved one’s alcohol addiction.
What Are the Effects?
There are many issues family members go through when they are dealing with an alcoholic loved one. Most often, family members report feeling completely out of control. Feelings of being out of control can bring on a great deal of stress for a person. Often, the familial relationships take the greatest hit and family members inadvertently become co-dependent because they are working so hard to hold the family together.
People often do not realize the depth of the problem until things advance and become quite bad. In the beginning, family members will start to question the severity of the alcohol problem and may even mistakenly believe it is not that bad. Denial often ends up being confronted in a stressful manner. At some point, the family members must come face to face with the issues or they will never be able to get help for their needs.
How to Get Help
Family issues can vary greatly when it comes to dealing with an alcoholic. Most people find it difficult to admit they need help. Reaching out for help can be hard, but getting the professionals involved could end up saving the alcoholic’s life and helping the family members better cope with the issues.
When it comes to therapy, it is essential families get just as much counseling as the alcoholic. Counseling sessions that are carried out as a family are conducive for helping in the healing process. Individual therapy is also recommended to help with each individual’s own personal issues regarding the alcoholic in their family.
It takes time for healing to take place within a family, but it can happen. If you are dealing with an alcoholic family member, reach out for help now.