It does not seem fair that a child at any age should have to deal with a parent that has an addiction to alcohol. The child is up for some work and coping that is going to need support from others around them. There are times that a parent or both parents are going to be in a situation that they may not realize that their drinking has become excessive and that they may be in need of help. The most common question when a child has a parent with an alcohol addiction is how can I fix the issue. The answer is that you cannot fix the problem. Alcohol is not like a flat tire that you can repair. It is more like someone who doesn’t have the ability to breathe or walk but you can’t just do it for them. There are some things that you can do as a support but the person that has the addiction has to do the work themselves. In the process that child will want to know what they can do in the role or self-care as well as support.
Meehab Addiction Recovery Explains How to Deal with Alcoholic Parents
Have a Plan to Stay Safe When You Have Alcoholic Parents: One of the characteristics about someone that has an addiction to alcohol is that they won’t act like themselves. They are being influenced by the alcohol and that can make them act out. This can be anger, violence, depression or over excitement. These are all things that in extremes can be dangerous to you. You want to have a plan of action especially if you live with the addict you know what to do and where to go. You need to ensure your own safety and that can be having a person that is safe to call that can pick you up. It can be a place close by that you can go to or even somewhere in the house. The person that you call should have knowledge of the problem and should have some kind of good relationship with the parent as well. This can help to stop the parent from becoming angry when you leave.
Support Groups Are A Lifeline: There are lots of people that think support groups are strictly for the person that has a problem. That is not the truth because alcohol addiction actually effects all the people that are involved. This can be friends and of course family. There are support groups for the family that is affected by a person with an alcohol addiction. It is great to have an outlet to lean on and support others. These groups often offer advice and real life situations and what you can do. They also have help options and how to talk to your parent about the problem. This can be what you need to get them the help that they need to get on the road to recovery.
Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings Near Me
Meehab Addiction Recovery offers help for alcohol addiction. Our helpful app outlines meeting places near you and allows you to make new friends to help support you on your journey. Click here to download in Beta for Android and Click here to be the first to now when our app goes live on iOS!