Expert: Amarnath.B - 3/29/2010

Question
hello, i'm praveen my dad is 55 years old physician in chennai(india), he s suffering from alcohol addiction, he has tried many times to quit by will power, but has come back to drinking. he doesnot want to go treatment centres as inpatient. wat i want to know is there any possibility of homeremedies,outpatient treatments,and where are they available.

Answer
Hello Praveen,

Thank you for your question.  Let me tell you a little about the disease, Alcoholism.

Addiction is a physiological illness, based on chemical dependency, which then dominates and warps the psychology of the addict, one is better able to see that the addiction is solely an individual journey for that person.  

An alcoholic is a person who has lost the power of choice to drink.  His mind is always preoccupied (even whilst drinking) as to when he can pick up his next drink.  It is a physical, mental, emotional, & spiritual disease.  Alcoholism may also refer to a preoccupation with or compulsion toward the consumption of alcohol and/or an impaired ability to recognize the negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption.  A person who is addicted to alcohol feels he is missing something very important in life when he doesn't get it. Simply put, an alcoholic is a person who drinks, has problems with his drinking but drinks anyway. So the question of one's will power will not arise.  

Alcoholism is a progressive & fatal disease, and cannot be cured it can only be arrested by total abstinence.  The disease however, will continue to grow.  A person will stop drinking only if he has a desire to do so. Many alcoholics come into recovery after they have touched rock bottom vis-à-vis loss of job, family, finance, home etc.  But some of them sadly don’t live to see recovery because alcoholism is a progressive and fatal disease. Some are lucky enough to get back on their feet and start a new life with the help of groups like Alcoholics Anonymous.  But others die a pitiful death, or go to jails, or worse still will end up in an asylum insane.  

Praveen, by your description your father, though a doctor has no desire to stop drinking. May be he has not touched rock bottom.  There is no known cure for alcoholism.  No home remedies, Ayurveda, Homeopathic whatsoever.  But there is a solution.  And that is Alcoholics Anonymous.  Alcoholics Anonymous is a self-help group which has helped millions of alcoholics achieve sobriety and lead a peaceful and purposeful life. Their 12-Step Recovery Program is a design for living for an alcoholic.  Contact the nearest AA group or call their helpline.  I'm sure in a city like Chennai there are many AA groups.  

Praveen, you're a codependent in an alcoholic scenario by virtue of your father being an alcoholic.  I suggest you start attending Al-Anon meetings (A self help group of family and friends of alcoholics, also a part of AA).  Here in these meetings you will meet people who have the same problems like yours and you will learn how to cope with it like they do. The Chennai AA helpline: 093811 24233/093813 24333.  Call them and ask one of their members come and visit your father.  I'm sure after a few visits your father should agree to at least try going to their meetings.

Praveen, I hope things work out well for your father and he comes into recovery soon.  Please do not hesitate to mail me back if you have any questions or concerns.


God bless


Amarnath