Do’s and Don’ts for Family Members of Alcoholics
Do’s and Don’ts for Family Members of Alcoholics
Do: Tell your loved one, when he or she is not drunk, how you feel about the drinking.
Don’t: Tell your loved one how you feel about it when he or she has been drinking.
Do: Support your loved one in recovery behaviors like seeking treatment, attending meetings, etc.
Don’t: Support your loved one in addictive behaviors at all (i.e. missing work due to a hangover, etc.)
Do: Love your alcoholic loved one unconditionally.
Don’t: Provide financial or other support unconditionally.
Do: Attend Al-Anon meetings for your own support and benefit.
Don’t: Think you aren’t affected by your loved one’s alcoholism. Don’t neglect yourself.
Do: Allow your loved one to work his or her own recovery program.
Don’t: Follow, monitor, police, or babysit your loved one.
Do: Understand when your loved one needs to be late for something due to attending a meeting.
Don’t: Beg a recovering alcoholic to miss a recovery meeting he or she needs to attend.
Do: Live your own life, find peace, laugh, enjoy other relationships, and live a full life.
Don’t: Keep your life on hold while you try to ‘fix’ the alcoholic. You don’t have that power.
One Comment
Linda / 16 Feb 2012 / 4:28 pm