I've posted here before about my close friend who's battling with alcoholism.
She has two kids (4 and 1) and is now on high levels of antidepressants, has been referred for alcohol counslling and psychiatric help, and is regularly attending AA meetings.
She seems to have been doing well over the past few weeks, but on Thursday came round for lunch with the kids and drank a bottle of vodka in the toilet. She went to bed and slept it off enough to go home with the kids. She was very upset, full of remorse, and promised me she was okay to go home and would put the children to bed and go to bed herself. I rang her later that night and she seemed okay. The next morning she phoned me in tears to say she'd bought another bottle of vodka on the way home but hadn't drunk it all. It turned out the childminder had had to come round and stay the night since her husband was away, and she had rung her family in distress (who called the childminder).
On Friday she seemed sure she had to start afresh, but we went to the cinema last night (Sat) and the moment I met her I could smell she'd been drinking, altho she was behaving normally. After the film she went to the toilet and came out slurring her words. I didn't say anything about it, partly because I was pissed off with having spent all that time talking on Friday and then she was just doing it again.
I always try to take a gentle approach with her because I know her self-esteem is rock bottom and she's very lonely. Her husband is away a lot with work, and their relationship has taken a battering from her drinking. However, I'm wondering whether it would be more helpful if I was tougher with her. I hate confrontation but I'm so worried that it's a disaster waiting to happen with the kids (and with her health).
Can anyone offer me advice on what to do? She's asked me to go out with her on Friday to a gig she's been looking forward to for months, but I'm worried that she'll have a drink (or a bottle). I'm starting to wonder if there is a resolution because it's been going on so long.
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how to support an alcoholic
21 replies
dazedandconfused · 22/06/2008 18:46
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dittany ·
22/06/2008 22:06
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dittany ·
22/06/2008 22:09
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anothermum92 ·
25/06/2008 19:51
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