Johnson explains that while some people maybe predisposed to problematic drinking or alcohol use disorder, these can also result from someone’s environment. She explains that, for some people, a bit of extra drinking now and then isn’t a big deal. If you can still meet all your life obligations, make your Zoom meetings, care for your children, she says, then it may be fine. There are some objective measures of problematic drinking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines heavy drinking as Hope House Boston Review 15 or more drinks a week for a man or eight or more for a woman.

Press Play for Advice On Finding Help for Alcohol Addiction

To this general and well-worn advice about grieving, I would add one exception. In rare cases, people may suffer an extreme and prolonged reaction to a loss. This is known as complicated grief, in which the sorrow continues without abating, leads to a preoccupation with the loss, and causes people to have trouble moving on with life. If you think you might be living with complicated grief, please reach out to a mental health professional to find help. Even if you cannot, at this moment, see a way forward without the person you have lost, you may be able to connect to someone else who makes that possible.

How to Help Someone Who Drinks Too Much

• It’s important to have people you can talk honestly and openly with about what you’re going through.
• A conversation when they’ve been drinking or are stressed is likely to trigger a lot of emotions that could get out of hand.
• Realize that you can’t force someone who doesn’t want to go into treatment.
• Set the example by opting out of rounds and drinking water or soft drinks as an alternative to alcohol in some rounds; or, better still, opt out of rounds completely.
• Combined with treatment led by health care providers, mutual-support groups can offer a valuable added layer of support.

But if any of those every day life duties start to be affected “then it would be a signal that they are drinking too much and that it’s a problem,” she says. But the consumption of all this alcohol can be problematic for individuals, even those who haven’t had issues with drinking in the past. Loo is the bar manager for the popular restaurant in Kansas City, Mo., and he credits increased drinking and looser liquor laws during the pandemic for his brisk business. Alcohol also seemed to help his customers deal with all the uncertainty and fear.

Tips for talking to an alcoholic about their drinking: Things that can HELP

• Attending a 12-step program or other support group is one of the most common treatment options for alcohol abuse and addiction.
• Many others substantially reduce their drinking and report fewer alcohol-related problems.
• Sticking to a routine during this time can help, as grieving can disrupt the feeling of leading a normal life.
• It takes an average adult around an hour to process one unit of alcohol so that there’s none left in their bloodstream, although this varies a lot for individuals.
• If you are worried about them and are wondering how to help, you first need to determine whether your friend truly needs help and whether or not they are ready to accept help.

After the individual receives personalized feedback, the counselor will work with them to set goals and provide ideas for helping to make a change. Couples and family counseling incorporates spouses and other family members in the treatment process and can play an important role in repairing and improving family relationships. Studies show that strong family support through family therapy increases the chances of maintaining abstinence (not drinking) compared with people going to individual counseling.

Normalise not drinking

The first step for family members and loved ones of a problem drinker is to inform themselves about AUD. This helps you understand your loved one’s behavior, and it helps you stop blaming them. It’s important to understand that this is not a weakness.

Most people benefit from regular checkups with a treatment provider. Medications can also deter drinking during times when individuals may be at greater risk for a return to drinking (e.g., divorce, death of a family member). This guide is written for individuals—and their family and friends—who are looking for options to address alcohol problems. It is intended as a resource to understand what treatment choices are available and what to consider when selecting among them. For more information, please visit the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator®, an online tool that helps individuals find the right treatment for them—and near them.