Expert: Druideck - 2/19/2008

Question
Hello,
 My husband is currently in recovery for 3 months. He is half way home and I am in search of literature that can give me some good advise relating to the newly sober alcoholic? The do's and dont's??
Thank you so much.
Sarah

Answer
Hi Sarah,

I admire your willingness to learn
about the recovery process.

There are many books about alcoholism
by Hazelden and others but
probably the most simple and helpful
is the Big Book of AA, chapters 8 and 9.
Online here: http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_tableofcnt.cfm

Alcoholics in early recovery have many
personal issues to work through.
Their emotions can be raw and underdeveloped.
They may not be able to handle much stress.

They need to be more responsible but
it takes time to learn how to
live sober and develop the coping abilities
that most adults have.

Often their emotional development has
been delayed by substituting drinking
for coping skills.

Just be fair, gentle but firm on things
that matter.
Not taking a drink is of primary importance
at this stage. Try not to let little hills
become mountains.
He lives one day at a time and sometimes
even one hour or one minute is all he may
be capable of.

Living sober is not natural for an alcoholic,
it takes much time to sort through the confusion
of mental, emotional and spiritual questions
he may have.

Take care and check out those big book chapters
I mentioned.