What should you do if you have a family member who drinks too much or is unwell through alcoholism? Many people are reluctant to talk about and deal with these issues. And it can be difficult to get help. The first point to note is that the person drinking too much is ill and at a stage in their addiction in which they cannot just stop drinking on their own. They need help. But they need help that family members cannot often give, and this is where addiction clinics become very useful. An alcohol rehab clinic will often provide a period of residential care for the person with a drinking problem. Some clinics require the person to arrive ‘dry’ or ’sober’ and off alcohol, having completed an alcohol detox. Others are able to give a medically supervised detox. The main treatment within an alcohol rehab centre is counselling and help in enabling the person to live without alcohol. It is one thing to get off the alcohol, but another to stay off the alcohol and stay sober. This is very difficult and needs coping strategies to deal with difficult situations in the future. At this stage in the rehab treatment support from family members can be very helpful, support in helping the person remain sober. Many rehab centres also offer support for families, both counselling individually for other family members and group sessions with all family members together. In this respect family would include any close friends or partners. This support from family is important after the residential rehab is completed. Once an alcohol has stopped drinking they usually say they are in Recovery, recognising that it is all too easy to slip back into drinking again.

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