Addiction to Alcohol/seeking help

Advertisement

Expert: - 7/20/2010


Question
I have been in a relationship with my significant other for the past 10 years. I have left him twice due to his alcoholism, coupled with verbal and physical abuse. I have continued to go back with the promise from him to get help for his problem; with no good results. He went into this rehab center for 28 days which I believe helped him a lot. My question how do I go about looking for rehab centers for him when he does not have any proper insurance coverage for the better rehab centers. He is a teacher who is out of work at this time and only has state assistance. He seems to be trapped in this black hole and cannot see his way out. I am not living with him at this time, so I am concerned about his health and mental state of mind. He has been burnt with 2nd degree burns, requiring skin grafts, due to his drinking; he has also fallen several times injuring his head.  Thank you for your response.

Answer

Beverley Glazer MA. IC
Hi Linda,

If your significant other has been through a program, he must also be aware that he should go to AA meetings and get a sponsor to reach out to whenever, he has cravings to drink. After any program follow-up is always necessary and Alcoholics Anonymous is free. They welcome members and you can walk into a meeting no matter what condition you're in.

There are many rehabs and programs for addiction, state assisted programs, expensive rehabs, private counselling etc but no matter how much you pay there's no guarantee of success. The program only gives the tools, but the alcoholic has to put them into practice.

This takes work, and only your significant other can do it.  It's important that you don't feel sorry for him and enable him in any way. It's so common for the functional one in a relationship to give too much help -- and this only prolongs the alcoholic behavior. Here's some information on this:

http://www.untwist-your-thinking.com/enabling-behavior.html

To help you further understand the addiction process, you might be interested in going to some Al-Anon meetings. These meetings are for friends and family of alcoholics and the members are very supportive.

I hope this information is helpful,
Thank you for asking AllExperts

Regards

Bev
http://www.untwist-your-thinking.com

PS.
I just got back from vacation today and noticed that your query wasn't picked up for some time. I guess quite a few of us were on vacation as well. If you'd like a quick response, feel free to send your question directly to my attention. All the best. B

    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentClear and precise answers to my questions


  • Add to this Answer
  • Ask a Question

Beverley Glazer

Expertise

I can answer questions on all addictive behaviors: alcohol, drugs, food, compulsive sex, codependency, gambling, compulsive shoplifting etc.

Experience

I have over 20 years experience working in the addiction field. My experience extends to all levels of substance abuse. I've worked in rehabs and detox centers, prisons and half-way houses and have a busy private practice as well as an active website where I can be reached for recovery coaching and consultation. I am a cognitive behavioral therapist, but 12-step programs are an excellent support. When working in the addiction field, there is no cookie-cutter solution. In the recovery field, you witness miracles. That's why I love what I do.

Organizations
NAADAC The Association for Addiction Professionals, CACCF Canadian Addiction Counselors Federation, CCA Canadian Counseling Association, For more information please see: http://www.untwist-your-thinking.com

Education/Credentials
BA Psychology, MA Counseling Psychology, ICADC International Alcohol and Drug Counselor, ICAC International Clinical Addiction Counselor, CGC Certified Gambling Counselor.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.