Help your loved ones to expel their demons
HEARTBROKEN family and friends recently gathered for the funeral of singer Amy Winehouse, 27, who had battled dependency on drugs and alcohol.
Many, including her parents, Mitch and Janis, tried to help her overcome her problems and her death highlighted not only the dangers of addiction but the agonies suffered by those who have to witness a sufferer decline.
Edmund Tirbutt is a journalist who successfully overcame a drink problem, and with his wife Helen has written a book, Help Them Beat The Booze: How To Survive Life With A Problem Drinker about the process.
He said: “The true horror of the situation can only really be appreciated by those who have gone through it.
“If someone you love is drinking heavily and dangerously, you may feel like a pilot who has lost control of their plane.
“As you hurtle forwards, it can seem as though there are no more levers left to pull and no options remaining on the dashboard.
“You may find yourself feeling permanently angry, abused and used, tormented and anxious and it can be very difficult to talk to anyone about what you’re going through.”
He says that those who live with or care about someone with an addiction can literally have their lives turned upside down.
“There can also be a huge financial burden. Sufferers can lose their jobs, homes, relationships and family members may have to step in to ‘bail’ them out.”
Current statistics estimate that around five per cent of adults in the UK are alcoholics, while alcohol consumption by young women has doubled in the last 10 years.
Stopping drinking altogether for life is recommended by organisations such as Alcoholics Anonymous, which regards alcoholism as an illness which can never be ‘cured’ but can be arrested.
Teetotal Tirbutt says abstinence can be a successful approach but warns that those who are physically addicted to alcohol should always reduce consumption gradually, ideally under medical supervision, as going ‘cold turkey’ can be extremely dangerous and may cause brain damage, memory loss or even death.”
He said: “There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution for alcohol dependency and while rehab may be successful for some, and AA for others, there are many people for whom neither method works.”
Tirbutt urges those who are affected by someone with an alcohol problem to seek help by talking to a trusted family member or friend, a GP, or to contact a support organisation such as Al-Anon, which helps those whose lives are affected by someone else’s drinking.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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