How to Tell Your Family You Need Help with Alcohol
When is the Right Time to Talk About Alcohol Rehab?
Table of Contents
Like many people across the country, you may be concerned that you need alcohol rehab for your drinking problems.
Like many others, you may find it hard to bring the subject up with your family and loved ones.
There are many reasons why you might hesitate to have this conversation. However, with the right help, you can find the appropriate time and place to make it happen.
Rehab is the modern standard treatment for anyone affected by alcohol use disorder (AUD).
This condition includes symptoms of non-addicted alcohol abuse and alcoholism.
Seeking Treatment for Alcoholism
Unfortunately, only a small percentage of people with AUD seek treatment.
This means that huge numbers of Americans never get the help they need.
You do not have to be counted among those with untreated alcohol problems.
Instead, you can enter a reputable alcohol rehab program. Before you start, you may need to fill your family and friends in on your situation.
For many people, very few conversations are more scary or difficult than this one.
However, family support can be crucial to your chances of regaining your sobriety.
Immediate Placement in Alcohol Rehab
How Can You Tell if You Need Alcohol Rehab?
Can you tell if you are an alcoholic or need rehab for non-addicted alcohol abuse?
Yes, with the help of a diagnosis from your doctor.
Even before you talk to a doctor, you can look for potential signs of problems.
Some common signs include:
- A pattern of increasing alcohol use over time
- Loss of the ability to change this pattern or stop drinking
- Use of drinking as a substitute from other activities
- Relationship problems caused by your alcohol use
- Problems in any other important area of responsibility caused by drinking
- Feeling sick or unwell when you don’t drink your typical amount of alcohol
- Creating a day that is structured around your alcohol use
- Not letting the physical or emotional consequences stop you from drinking
It takes only two of 11 possible symptoms to get an official diagnosis.
Coping With Shame
You may know you have a drinking problem but are unable to summon the strength to tell anyone, including your spouse, parents, or other loved ones.
Why do you feel so hesitant? One common reason for this feeling is a sense of embarrassment or shame. Shame is a very common emotion.
Like most emotions, it serves a positive purpose in certain circumstances.
However, all too often, shame is something that eats away at you and affects your life in various harmful ways.
Shame is known to contribute to the chances that you will develop drinking problems. Research also shows that it can interfere with your attempts to get sober.
Not everyone experiences shame in the same way or to the same degree. It may not have a big effect for your particular case. On the other hand, you may find shame to be an obstacle in your way to seek help.
If that is the case, you should know that addiction is not a matter of fault or weakness. Modern research has clearly identified alcohol use disorder as a form of brain disease.
Once it appears, it is a chronic condition. Because of this, addiction resembles any other chronic disease. No one wakes up and wants to have an alcohol use disorder.
However, it’s vital to treat the effects of this substance abuse and take the actions needed to protect your health.
Learn More About Our Alcohol Rehab Program
Make a Plan for Talking to Your Family
Once you decide to talk to your family, there is no need to go in unprepared.
It is perfectly acceptable to make a plan before you take the necessary steps to stop drinking. These plans may include deciding when and where to speak with your loved ones.
Why would you make a plan? There are numerous reasons to decide to do this. For example, you might still be struggling with feelings of shame or embarrassment.
If so, you may need to calm your nerves before having the conversation. You might also have significant challenges in communicating with one or more family members.
In this kind of situation, a plan of action may help you defuse tension and make communication easier.
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Tell Your Family What You Need
Your family can have a major, positive influence by supporting your quest for sobriety.
However, you should not expect they will automatically know how to help you.
In reality, there is a good chance they will not have a clear idea of your needs. If so, they might unknowingly do things that you find unhelpful.
How can you avoid this possibility?
One of the best things you can do is tell your family what you need. This may include things like emotional support as you prepare yourself for alcohol rehab.
It may also include asking them for help to work out the practical details of planning your stay in rehab.
It all depends on what works best for you. You might not know everything you need from your family. An honest conversation will help clarify your needs.
It will also help your family learn how best to support you.
The Benefits of Knowing You Need Alcohol Rehab
It may not seem like it, but you are already ahead of the curve if you know you need rehab.
Why? Many people are unaware their drinking has gotten out of hand.
They may only begin to understand when family members or loved ones hold an alcohol intervention. In other cases, their doctors let them know they have symptoms of an AUD.
It can be a shocking experience to have someone tell you that you have a drinking problem. Many people react by denying the information presented to them. Other kinds of volatile reactions are also possible.
For this and other reasons, public health experts offer detailed advice to anyone planning to stage an intervention.
If you are aware that you need help, you can avoid intervention altogether.
By doing so, you also avoid the potential for trauma and distress prior to seeking alcohol rehab treatment. That is not to say that you will not have challenges and obstacles on the road ahead.
However, with you and your family on the same page from the beginning, you increase your chances for success.
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Get Ready for Alcohol Rehab with Help from Your Family
For many people struggling with alcohol problems, getting help is one of the hardest things they will ever do.
Often, the challenge is recognizing that a problem even exists.
However, in other cases, the concern may be what others will think about your situation. That includes members of your own family or other loved ones.
If you are worried about talking to your family, you are not alone. There are many reasons why you may not look forward to that specific conversation.
By opening up to your family, you enlist them as allies in your quest for treatment and long-term sobriety. You also make it possible to receive their support throughout the treatment process.
This support is an invaluable, irreplaceable benefit. Are you ready to seek help for your alcohol abuse or addiction? At Emerald Isle, we do everything possible to help get the resources you need for your recovery process.
No matter how you have been affected by AUD, our inpatient and outpatient treatment options provide you with exceptional, customized care.
