How You Can Help Your Alcoholic Dad
Alcoholism rarely just affects the person with the addiction – it can affect loved ones too. If your parent has an alcohol problem, your life will likely be impacted too.
If you think your father has an alcohol problem, whether it be involving alcohol abuse or addiction, you more than likely want to help. We can help you to help your alcoholic dad. Trust Help4Addiction to connect your father with the best rehab programme for him and his addiction. You don’t have to deal with this alone.
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Signs Your Father Has An Alcohol Problem
Substance abuse and addiction can affect your father’s general well-being and can lead to changes in his mood, behaviour, and overall personality.
Here are some of the key signs of alcohol addiction that could indicate your dad has an alcohol problem:
He Has An Increased Tolerance to Alcohol
A key sign is tolerance – alcoholics often develop a tolerance to alcohol, which means they can drink the same amount of alcohol as others around them, but still appear sober.
He Struggles to Control His Drinking
Somebody with AUD may also drink at inappropriate times – for example, during working hours or in the morning. They may also find it hard to stop drinking once they start, and carry on drinking the next day to ease the hangover and the withdrawal symptoms.
He Experiences Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms
If your family member or parent has a problem with alcohol, you may notice that they experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop drinking. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can have physical and psychological effects and can vary in severity.
The severity of the withdrawal symptoms can depend on a variety of factors. However, the general rule of thumb is that the more severe the addiction, the more severe the withdrawal symptoms.
Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome will typically peak around three days after their last drink – but milder withdrawal symptoms may persist for a while longer. In more severe alcohol addictions, withdrawal symptoms can begin as quickly as a few days after their last drink.
Some common withdrawal symptoms include:
- Feelings of anxiety
- Headache
- Nausea and/ or vomiting
- Tremors
- Irritability
- Confusion
- Faster heart rate
- Sweating
- High blood pressure
- Trouble sleeping/ staying asleep
He Experiences Health Issues Due to Alcohol
Alcohol can take its toll on a person’s physical and mental health. If your father is beginning to experience health issues due to his drinking, it could indicate a problem.
Some health issues that excessive drinking may cause include:
- Liver Disease – fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis
- Cardiovascular Issues – hypertension (high blood pressure), cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle), arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), and stroke
- Mental Health Disorders – depression, anxiety disorders, and other mental health issues
- Cancer – including those of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, liver, breast, and colon
- Neurological Disorders – dementia, memory loss, peripheral neuropathy, and impaired cognitive function
- Pancreatitis – inflammation of the pancreas, leading to pancreatitis
- Gastrointestinal Issues – gastritis, ulcers, and an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding
- Weakened Immune System – becoming more susceptible to infections and illnesses
He Continues to Drink Despite The Negative Effects
One of the most prominent signs of addiction is the continuation of alcohol abuse despite the negative consequences. He may experience physical or mental health issues, have trouble holding down a job, or have disrupted relationships with friends and family, but continue to drink alcohol. If this is the case, he should seek professional support and take the first steps towards sobriety.
Advice For Children of Alcoholics
If you’re a young child or an adult child of an alcoholic and one of your parents has an alcohol addiction, you don’t have to help your father all alone. There is support out there for you.
Make sure you speak out, whether be to a friend, family member, or even a doctor or medical professional. Talk to somebody you trust about the problem – it’s important that your parent gets the help they need, and that you receive the support you need.
You may feel responsible for your parent’s drinking, or feel guilty – but it’s important to remember that your father’s alcohol problems aren’t your fault, and isn’t something you should deal with alone.
How You Can Help Your Alcoholic Father
It can be difficult watching your parent struggle with addiction and it can have negative effects on your own life, including your mental health. It can also affect the entire family unit. However, alcohol use disorder is possible to overcome with the right support.
In some cases, you may be in a position to provide your father with the support he needs – but this isn’t always an option. Sometimes professional help is needed – and it’s important to remember that you can’t do everything on your own.
If you’re concerned about your father’s alcohol problems, there are some ways that you can help.
Avoid Enabling Their Behaviour
It’s important to set boundaries and avoid enabling their alcohol use. When a person has an alcohol addiction, alcohol will become their priority. They may neglect other responsibilities, and do anything to feed their alcohol addiction. This can include lying or manipulating.
Giving in to these demands may feel like the easiest option. However, this will only make things worse in the long term. Avoid letting them drink in your home, never buy alcohol for them, and set clear boundaries.
Enabling their behaviour will only stop them from seeing the severity of their problem, and blind them to the harmful consequences that alcoholism has on a person.
Listen and Offer Support
It’s important to listen and offer support to your alcoholic father – and provide an environment where he can talk to you honestly and openly. You should also speak openly about how you feel, and voice your concerns calmly.
Remain compassionate – it’s not always easy talking to somebody about their problems, and you may feel angry and frustrated at times. When talking to them, it’s important to get the timing right. Trying to speak to them whilst they’re intoxicated will likely be unsuccessful. If they aren’t ready to get help, then you may have to try another approach.
Take Care Of Yourself
Supporting a loved one with alcohol addiction can be draining, and it can be easy to neglect your own needs. However, you’ll be in no position to help somebody if you’re not taking care of yourself.
Don’t feel guilty about doing things for yourself – it’s crucial for your well-being and will help you through this difficult time. Make sure you’re meeting your own needs and doing what you can to lower your stress levels.
Looking after an alcoholic parent can have many negative impacts on your life and well-being, so it’s necessary to remember to take care of yourself too.
Stage An Intervention
If you have already tried to voice your concerns to your parent and achieved no success, it may be time to try something else to help your alcoholic parent.
During an intervention, you may wish to include friends, grandparents and other family members. Some people choose to invite medical professionals or addiction specialists, so they are on hand to answer any questions about alcohol addiction treatment. Seeking support is usually the key goal of an intervention.
Contact Rehab Services
Before you seek treatment for your alcoholic father, you should know that there are different types of rehab – and what works for one does not work for all.
Some people prefer to attend rehab while residing at home in the form of outpatient rehab, whereas others benefit from residing in a rehab facility as an inpatient, in the form of residential rehabilitation.
Rehab for alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse comprises three stages: alcohol detox treatment, addiction therapy, and secondary addiction treatment. Detoxification deals with the physical element of addiction, whereas therapy aims at dealing with the social, behavioural, and psychological aspects of alcoholism.
Different rehab clinics will have different facilities – some may only offer counselling and CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), whereas others may also offer family therapy, group therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, and more.
Secondary treatment essentially offers additional support once you finish rehab – whether it be in the form of support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, group therapy, or further counselling. Some people find Al-Anon helpful – this group can help family members of alcoholics.
We have connections with rehab clinics around the world. We will listen to your story, requirements, and preferences to find the right place for your dad to overcome his addiction.
Contact us today to learn more about the rehab process, discuss the various treatment options, and get the ball rolling on recovery.
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