My Zeo

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • House
  • Pets
  • Fitness
  • Money
  • Contact

What to Say to an Alcoholic (When They Happen to Be Your Best Friend)

July 11, 2020

In 2018, 14.4 million American adults had alcohol use disorder.

If someone you know and love is a part of that statistic, it’s important that you speak with them as soon as you can.

As you can imagine, this will be one of the hardest conversations you, and even more so, your best friend will ever have.

However, if you take the time to understand how you can approach the situations and what to say to an alcoholic in order to help, you might actually point them in the direction of recovery.

Keep reading for some essential tips.

Starting a Difficult Conversation

How you embark on this conversation is just as important as what you say.

It is a very delicate situation and, in order to open up, your best friend needs to feel like they’re in a safe, comfortable space.

As such, remember to:

  • Find a quiet, familiar place to talk
  • Make sure both you and your best friend are sober for the conversation
  • Be understanding, and never judgmental
  • Listen more than you speak
  • Set boundaries, but be willing to compromise

Regarding what to say, four things that tend to help are:

“I’m Worried About How Much You’ve Been Drinking”

When you’re speaking about a topic like alcoholism, it’s essential to be kind and supportive, but also to be straightforward.

If you’ve started to notice suspicious behavior or any of the typical symptoms of drug withdrawal, tell your friend that you’re worried about them and why.

Be specific about what you’re noticing, mentioning particular situations and mishaps.

“Your Drinking Is Affecting…”

Your friendship, their relationship with their children, their career, their financial situation… whatever it is.

By telling them this, you’ll be showing them that their addiction doesn’t just affect them, but people or things that they love, and they might just give them the motivation they need to get help.

“What Can I Do to Help You?”

Remember when we mentioned how important it is for you to listen to your best friend?

This conversation isn’t a lecture.

It’s essential that you ask questions, especially because chances are that they won’t feel completely comfortable opening up about a topic like this.

Ask them what you can do and, whether they just want someone to talk to or someone to take them to AA meetings, make sure to be supportive.

“I’ll Be Here For You Throughout the Way”

Feeling alone during recovery is halfway to giving up.

Reassuring your best friend that you’ll be by their side during this difficult, but much-needed journey is crucial.

However, your actions need to be consistent with your words.

Sometimes, being a supportive friend to someone who has an addiction isn’t the easiest thing to do, but as long as your friend is putting in the work in order to heal, you should try your best to help them.

What to Say to an Alcoholic: Kindness and Encouragement Are Key

Knowing what to say to an alcoholic, as well as how to say it, can make the difference between having an unpleasant conversation, or one that actually leads your best friend to recovery.

Just remember to be kind and encouraging.

If you’d like to read more articles like, keep exploring our blog!

Leave a Comment · Health

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

Hello all!!!! I'm Darcy and I recently started writing on My Zeo about health and fitness (and part of that important health equation is sleep!). As we are all super busy with life, I try to integrate how to stay fit, relax and be healthy and happy through everyday life.

Facebook

My Zeo

NEWSLETTER

TeraHemp

4 Creative Home Office Options for You In 2022

  A recent Gallup Poll indicates that remote working could become the new normal for up to . . .

Read the Post

5 Unique Pets for Animal Enthusiasts

  Approximately 90.5 million American households own at least one pet. Most common are dogs, . . .

Read the Post

What Is an Impacted Tooth? Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

  When was the last time you stopped to consider how important your teeth are? They let . . .

Read the Post

How to Plan an Incredible Dinner Party

  It's difficult to remain sane in the early days of pandemic 2020. You're so isolated at . . .

Read the Post

7 Things You Need to Know About Buying a Car in Florida

  Almost two million cars were sold in the state of Florida in 2019. The most popular . . .

Read the Post

Follow Us Online

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

Copyright © 2018 myzeo.com

Copyright © 2022 · Simply Pro by Bloom Blog Shop.

Posting....