Living With An Alcoholic - Overcome Your Resignation

Alcoholism is a disease that can be devastating for those living with an alcoholic. People with an alcoholic parent or spouse know how stressful it is to constantly worrying that their loved one will drink and drive, sell family valuables and use the money to finance their habit or go on a binge and not come home for days.

For many living with an alcoholic means constantly having problems paying the bills, having to pick up the peaces after their alcoholic loved one, being cautious about various signs of alcoholism, dealing with abuse, and even suffering from lack of sleep due to fear of what will happen next.

Instead of allowing or becoming resigned to the situation you must fight back. This is the only way to ensure better future! Follow these top 5 tips to change your situation.

1. Take an honest look at the alcoholic: Recognizing the line between social drinking and alcohol abuse is not always easy to identify. Although someone who drinks a few glasses during the weekend might not be considered an alcoholic, anyone who drinks so much that it affects their normal everyday life can be considered to be abusing alcohol.

Talk to the alcoholic parent or spouse. Ask them why they drink. Discus worrying symptoms that indicate alcoholism such as drinking to the point of blacking out, needing to drink to feel better about their life and feeling ashamed over their drinking habits.

2. Let the alcoholic accept the consequences: To get out of resignation, let the alcoholic experience the negative consequences of drinking and do not let yourself take on responsibility for their actions. When living with an alcoholic do not call in for them if they miss work, never purchase alcohol for them, do not help them to bed or cleaning up the empty bottles after they have been drinking. To stay out of debt and get them to see how bad the situation has become do not buy alcohol for them or give them money to buy more.

3. Accept the reality: To change your life with an alcoholic parent or spouse, you need to accept the reality. Do not live in denial or make excuses for the signs of alcoholism being displayed. You should never permit yourself to feel guilty or attempt to threaten or bribe them into giving up drinking. Instead, deal with your own emotions, because this is the only thing you have power to control.

4. Do not engage: When living with an alcoholic, you are likely to find yourself in the middle of arguments, throwing items around, verbal or physical abuse. Do not allow yourself to be drawn into playing mind games or involved in fights! Make sure your spouse experiences being loved by you but detach yourself from the situation. If needed, leave the house for a few hours or go out with friends. Do not accept their outbursts and bad behaviors. By doing that you will let them see even faster that they need help.

5. Get Support: The recovery will not happen in just few short weeks or months. For a lot of people the process takes years! To get the emotional support needed to recognize and treat the signs of alcoholism therapists, support groups, online forums and even eBook systems can be accessed.

These treatment methods are enormously helpful for both the alcoholic and the individuals living with an alcoholic.