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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Where can I find support/resources for an alcoholic?

    Related Topics
    Addiction Alcohol Dependence
    My cousin who is an alcoholic is very stubborn and doesn't listen to his friends or family members' advice. I'm trying to find alternative resources for him– information, supoprt groups, even a therapist. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.
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    • Dr Jeremy Adams
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    Dr Jeremy Adams

    Psychologist

    Dr. Jeremy Adams has a multidimensional background that includes a Ph.D. in Sport and Exercise psychology, a clinical postdoctoral fellowship in Chemical Dependency, and a … View Profile

    Alcoholism, like many other addictions, is not only difficult for the addict, but as you've found, really hard for those around him or her. It's often tempting for family or friends to offer advice or even to confront them directly (the American ‘interventions’ being perhaps the worst example of this). Unfortunately, humans are very good at rationalising their behaviour, even when the behaviour is highly irrational and potentially harmful or destructive. So direct confrontation, no matter how well intended, often has the opposite effect, making it even harder for the addict to admit to a problem and seek help.

    That said, alcoholism is a behaviour and, with the appropriate help, all behaviours can be changed. Behaviour change requires a few things, however: the desire to change, the motivation to act on change, and the help required to sustain change. 

    One of the best ways to encourage change behaviour is to discuss the situation with the person who you believe requires change and to attempt to develop ambivalence in their viewpoint. In other words, if that person starts to question his or her behaviour (we call this change talk), even just a little bit, he or she will be more likely to decide that there is a problem and that something needs to be done. It's at this point that you might offer the name of an effective psychologist, or get them to see their GP.

    A great way to encourage change talk is to ask a person to list the pros and cons of their behaviour - and to get them to talk more about the cons. Questions like “if you could be anywhere in 5 years” can be a good way of encouraging this discourse.

    A word of advice. Addiction is not a simple issue to treat, and there's a lot of dodgy treatment out there. Please encourage your cousin to see a GP for a referral, and be treated by a registered psychologist with specific training in addiction treatment. 

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