Yes, Al-Anon Family Groups definitely has on-line support groups for families of alcoholics. The on-line meetings are chat and bulletin board (list serv). There are also telephone meetings.
You might also want to listen to Al-Anon’s First Steps to Recovery podcast on the Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters,Inc.s Web site,http://al-anonfamilygroups.org/Podcasts/FirstSteps/ . The podcasts are on a variety of subjects and you will hear members talking about what happens at an Al-Anon meeting as well as on a variety of subjects.
On-line meetings are a great supplement to meetings in real time. I hope you will also consider going to a F2F meeting. It really helps to meet people face to face who understand what a family member of an alcoholic goes through. I knew I was in the right place at my very first meeting and what a relief it was for me to get help. I thought I was going crazy. Call 888-425-2666 for meeting information.
Alcohol has been the bane of many a life. From a lighthearted and fun thing to do, alcohol addiction can metamorphose into this immensely self damaging exercise, that makes life a living nightmare for the person consuming the alcohol and also to a large extent the people around them like family and friends.
How does one turn away from alcohol addiction? They say to each, his own. Everyone can devise and customize their strategy to give up alcohol consumption. Of course if you are way past the stage where you can deal with the situation yourself, it is best to seek medical assistance. You could for example draw up a sort of a balance sheet of what you would stand to gain and lose if you quit drinking alcohol. You will notice that the benefits outnumber the negatives. Your health would improve, you would perform better at your job, and probably earn more, your friends will no longer ignore you, you will confidently drive around the town and most importantly you will be happy. What do you lose in the bargain – your hangover, foul temper, risky driving and bad health. Now if you are thinking sort of a person, which side of the fence would you rather be?
One of the reasons why a lot of people turn to alcohol is that it aids one in socializing as it makes one less inhibited and more talkative. That may largely be true, but if one were to recognize that the true measure of one’s abilities and this is something which can be more fun, is to achieve the same results staying sober.
Another piece of sincere advice would be to not frequent those eateries which entice you to have a drink to wash down your food with. There is almost a conspiracy hatched jointly by the food and liquor industry to suck you into this whole lifestyle and culture thing. Do steer away from this. Do not be dictated to by someone else.
Surely you have far better things to do with your time than to spend hours every day drinking yourself silly. Reclaim your life. Play tennis or golf or do network. Grow your business. What will drinking alcohol ever get you? Think of the money you will save by not drinking. Maybe you could give yourself a holiday in the hills instead.
Remember it is in your hands to give up drinking. But you have to be committed to it. Half measures and a wavering attitude will not do. You should be able to deal with social situations or even temptation with equanimity. If you are clear in your head about what you want this will not be a problem. Learn from the example of George Bush, the onetime alcoholic who went on to become two time president of the United States.
Alcohol and Drug addiction has a devastating effect not only on the individual addict but on the entire family as well. It has been proven time and again that successfully overcoming addiction to alcohol and drugs requires the collaborative effort of the whole family and all those who are directly affected.
Residential rehab programs offer addicts various programs that are especially designed to alleviate the pain of withdrawal symptoms and to provide constructive outlets for their various addictive urges. One of the biggest set backs to long term relapse prevention is the temptation to resort to old habits once the recovered addict leaves the structured environment of the rehab program and re-enters his old surroundings. Family and spousal support is paramount during this phase of relapse prevention. In the absence of a solid support system, the former addict will most likely slip back into addiction.
Addiction is a Family Ailment
Alcoholism is considered as a family disease in medical circles and in the community as large. The families of alcohol addicts are directly affected by the alcoholism either due to abuse, neglect or sheer embarrassment of the alcoholic’s behavior. They are constantly trying to gauge the alcoholic’s mood and try their best to alter their behaviors in an effort to control the amount of alcohol that the addict may imbibe.
If a family party acts as an incentive to encourage drinking, they would rather forego the party and cancel all plans rather than run the risk of initiating another alcoholic binge. While many wives try their best to be supportive and non-critical of their partner’s addiction, even a supposed slight is enough for the addict to relapse into alcoholism.
Role of Family in Relapse Prevention
Living with a recovering alcohol addict is tough on their families who constantly feel like they are walking on eggshells. They have to measure everything they do, think about where they go and censor what they eat at family meal times.
Studies show there are 17 common triggers that can compromise an alcohol addict’s journey to recovery. Observing these few rules will help pre-empt these triggers and increase the odds of the addict staying clean for a longer time:
If the occasion calls for alcohol to be served, inform the recovering alcoholic in advance of the various non-alcoholic beverages that he can choose from.
Avoid serving any dishes that contain alcohol.
Steer clear of pubs and former favorite hanging-out venues.
Do not keep any alcohol or alcoholic products within easy reach; preferably do not keep any in the house at all.
Do not be obsessive or continuously nag your spouse about the use of alcohol.
Be supportive of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and make sure your spouse attends all the meetings.
Make it a point to keep all doctor’s appointments and do not give up on the therapy, no matter how frustrating and tiring it may be.
Try and keep to your former routines as much as possible, they provide the recovering addict with much-needed stability.
Do not harbor resentment or ill feelings for damage done or hurt caused during the addictive phase. Letting it go and learning to forgive and forget hastens the healing process.
Recovering from addiction is a complex process. Expect set-backs along the way and try not to hold it against the person who is also facing an uphill battle in his struggle against addiction.
Make sure that one addiction is not replaced by another.
Watch for changes in behavioral patterns. Signs of unexplained depression, anger or anxiety could be silent signals that the recovering addict may relapse into addiction.
Do not let the recovering addict stop medications without the doctor’s advice.
Remember that addiction is nobody’s fault. It is an ailment much like other medical conditions and the addict should not be blamed or personally faulted. Unnecessary blame and criticism can only provoke the victim into relapse and does nothing to help recovery.
I have paid a lot of attention recently to just what the symptoms of alcoholism are, how an alcoholic can recognize that they are indeed addicts and not just heavy drinkers and also just how much damage alcohol can cause to family relations as well as causing a negative effect to social behavior leading to complete isolation to the rest of the world.
Alcohol addiction has taken over many lives and infused the drinker with the belief that only through drinking can you survive your day. Giving in to this way of thinking is a path to disaster as you will always be reliant on the bottle for your sense of self esteem.
Often we are given a warning, before it becomes too late, and if we don\’t answer the call to quit drinking then we most likely will never quit; it is at this point where, if you answer the call, then the advice I am about to give will come in most handy.
To reach that critical decision the need to visualize the importance of your life to the people around you and hold the belief that if you change your life, you can also help to improve their lives as well as there really isn\’t a better gift than that of giving. This Alcohol Withdrawal Support would suggest that you start off by setting a day within reason and try to reduce the daily amount of alcohol consumed and make sure that you wake up to an alcohol free environment as well as having everything you need at home for at least a week.
For the first alcohol free week I want you to stay home and just rely on our Alcohol Withdrawal Support program; I recognize that we all need to work but try and have your doctor issue a certificate stating that you were recovering from an illness during your time off. The first few days are very tough and getting out of bed will be incredibly difficult, stay in bed until you are ready to face the world without alcohol.
Family and friends as well as this Alcohol Withdrawal Support group will be your new partner of life and they will no doubt give you all the support to make you realize that you have made to right decision to quit drinking alcohol. After about 72 days you would have virtually said goodbye to alcoholism, but beware of feeling over confident and thinking that just one quick drink would be a nice treat for all your effort.
You will be faced with challenges daily and they will appear, in the beginning, even more difficult as you will be facing them without alcohol. Don\’t forget that the only ones who matter are you and your family and that your success through the help of this Alcohol Withdrawal Support guide is vital to every ones eventual happiness.
