Without joining AA, what are some ways to recommend/encourage someone to not dri!
Question: What are alternative methods to stop drinking, short of declaring someone an alcoholic?
Answers: What are alternative methods to stop drinking, short of declaring someone an alcoholic?
Do NOT believe the AA members who tell you that AA is "the only way" to stop drinking, or that "only an alcoholic can understand an alcoholic".
That is BS of the highest order.
It is cult-speak, not so different, really, from Heaven's Gate or the Moonies or FLDS or Scientology or any other group which claims its way is the ONLY way to ANYTHING or in which you are told that "only special people like us can understand you."
In fact, AA has only about a 5% success rate--the same success rate of people who quit on their own! See http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-effe...
There ARE alternative methods, smart recovery and lifering for example. Look them up. Read Stanton Peele's stuff too.
They can't stop drinking until they DO declare themselves an alcoholic. You can't do it for them...they have to do it on their own.
Alcoholism is a disease, a very BAD disease. Alcoholics can't quit on their own, they DO need the support of AA to help them quit.
Loved ones of the alcoholic can join ALNON so they can have help dealing with the disease.
tell them straight up they drink to much then
INTERVENTION!! lol
You probably don't want to hear this: but when I was 17 I was sent to out patient rehab ( smoking and drinking) In order to "graduate" from rehab I had to go to AA. AA taught me so much, and the people I met there were incredibly, and there were even many people who were my age. It was to the point where I could call anyone in my group at 2am and tell them I felt like drinking and they would come get me and we would get coffee. To be honest, the only people who can really seriously encourage you to stop drinking our other alcoholics. I say this because you can relate to them. In AA you get hooked up with a network....a sponsor ( who will listen and help you with your struggles). I really feel that for anyone with a serious drinking problem.. AA is the way to go..it helped me.
go online do some research. learn about the disease, the effects not only on your daily life but physically and mentally as well. try a weekend without drinking and do more productive things see how you feel. talking to someone who doesnt drink or has been through quitting would also help...that is why AA is such a great support system
I personally Would Just Think Beofe you Do it. Thats the main Thing, think bout who you are affecting or who you could hurt. Why would you ever want to do something that Is hurting you and could hurt someone else. Like when My dad drinks It hurts me inside so bad to Know this is Killing him inside and he doesnt even know it. Try something else Go out dont put your self In a Situation were your Bored and u want to drink. Go out meet new people. You dont need to Drink to Fit in . I recently just had a Debate in my Bible class and i was assigned to Against Drinking. We Won. Drinking My feel goo dat the moment and i understand that when your going threw alot and everything just suck syou want something liek that . But say You get better and Your life gets back on track .. your life is going good you feel great but your Getting sick your losing your brain cells because everytime somehting went wrong you Drank. Think before you do it???
Follow these steps to stop drinking alcohol.
Identify your reasons. Make a list of the reasons you want to stop drinking alcohol. You might want to ask a trusted friend or family member to help you make the list complete. Keep this list so that you can renew your commitment from time to time. Use the form for identifying reasons to cut down on or stop alcohol use (What is a PDF document?).
Make a plan. Set a date to stop drinking. Complete a plan to stop drinking alcohol. Post it in a place where you can see it often, such as on your refrigerator door or bathroom mirror. You might want to put it in more than one place. You also might want to put it on a card and keep it in your purse or wallet. See an example of a plan to stop drinking alcohol (What is a PDF document?).
Share your plan with others. Talk with your family members and trusted friends about your plan. Let them know how they can help you to be successful.
Evaluate your progress. In your plan, identify when you will evaluate your progress. Try a plan for 30 days so that the new behaviour becomes a habit. Review your reasons for stopping alcohol use. Write down the benefits that you are seeing. If you drank after successfully stopping (relapse), it does not mean that you have failed. Relapse is common. Begin again, using your experience to help you learn how to stick with your plan this time.
Continue your new behaviours. After trying this plan for 30 days, try it for another 30 days. Like anything else in life, it is not easy to change behaviour, even when it might be in your best interest. But the more you practise new behaviours, the more likely it is that they will become habits. If you try this plan but are not successful, talk with your doctor about other ways to stop drinking alcohol.
Other things you can do
The following are other ideas that can help in your plan to stop using alcohol:
Avoid stumbling blocks. Many things can interfere with meeting your goal to cut down on or stop drinking. You might need to choose new friends or a new lifestyle if your current life revolves around alcohol use. To stay focused on your goal and succeed, see ideas to help you stop using alcohol on your own.
Attend a self-help group. Some people attend self-help groups to help them stick to their plan to cut down on or stop drinking. If you are not sure whether a self-help group is for you but would like to try, go to a group at least 3 times before you make your decision. There are different types of groups (such as men or women only, discussion, and speaker). Go to another group if the first one does not fit your needs.
Reward yourself. Use the money you once spent on drinking to do something fun with your family or friends. Go out to eat, see a movie, or play sports or a game.
It's tough to say without more info. Is there a reason for not seeking an AA type program? There are alternative methods though none of them are effective at eliminating the problem if the drinking is a result of self medication. If the problem stems from a habit of avoiding stressful situations then psychological re programing is the necessary intervention. This is more or less to say that someone or something has to be influential enough to this person to help them through the process of dealing with life without the need to avoid it. Usually this person is an objective outsider. Is this person's drinking a problem? If you can answer yes to this question then ask yourself how? Armed with that answer then you are building a case for "your" intervention with this person. The bottom line is that if this person truly has a problem with alcohol abuse then the best reason for quitting is for themselves not anyone else. This is what is meant by reaching the "bottom" of the barrel. You run out of the medicine that takes the pain away and you have no where else to turn. Hopefully you come to this place before your life is a shamble. However, lots of good folks go on and on until it is. Good luck with your search. I hope you can make a difference. Keep asking questions. Don't rule out intervention. It can be a wake up call for them.