How can I help an alcoholic quit drinking?

[Hoops244]

Yep, had a buddy who would start drinking in the morning. Vodka and orange juice 90/10. Would go through a half gallon about every 36 hours. When he quit, it was awful to see. Shaking, throwing up, illucinations, etc.

He's been in and out of the hospital trying to quit for years. Three stints in rehab. Addiction is a *****.

 

[Pickle_Rick]

You can't quit for him. I was pretty bad for a number of years after coming home from Viet Nam. The Lord got me through it and I've been clean and sober for 36 years now. He won't quit till he's ready.

It's this, and like most everyone said. My wife gets mad when I tell people I am an alcoholic, but I am. If he is just drinking to drink, thats different. For alcoholics, our brains produce a chemical that combines with alcohol, and produces sensations of pleasure.

He has to have the will to cut himself off from that. No one else can do it for him. You can support him when/if he does. If you support him while he is drinking, he will never stop. We are basically junkies, only we can buy our drug in almost every store in America.

 

[BlueBleedingMarine]

If he is drinking that much, that often, the first thing he needs is medical detox, then long term treatment. 30 days is a waste of time, atleast 60-90 days of inpatient. I call it the "Hole in the soul" theory, you cant just try to treat the alcoholism, you have to treat the person as a whole, there a reason he is drinking, find that, treat it and that's a start.