How to Help an Alcoholic Son

Resources for Helping an Addicted Loved One

When your child struggles with alcohol use disorder, watching the ensuing struggle can be a painful experience. Without alcohol addiction treatment, feelings of isolation and confusion can become overwhelming.

Whether your son is a teenager, young adult, or full-grown, watching them spiral into a world of alcohol misuse is a gut–wrenching pain that only a parent or family member of an alcoholic can understand. The worst part is not having a solid plan for helping them find the right treatment provider.

You are not alone in your struggle. The most important thing o understand is that Icarus Behavioral Health in New Mexico is available for alcohol treatment and any mental and physical health problems that come with the addiction. We provide information on alcohol abuse and how to help an alcoholic son, pairing you and your loved one with a substance abuse specialist.

At Icarus Behavioral Health, we offer addiction treatment to help your son stop drinking. Our substance abuse specialists provide treatment options and help manifest results that lead to long-term recovery. This guide walks you through the most efficient way to seek treatment for a family member or son struggling with alcohol or drug abuse.

You’ll learn how to approach the situation without pushing them into an uncomfortable environment but instead provide empathy with boundaries that foster the proper support.

Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)

Before you can decide on treatment options, you must understand what your son is experiencing during his addiction. Alcohol abuse is a medical condition defined by the inability to stop or control their alcohol use despite the mental health and physical damage caused.

This condition is classified as a chronic, recurring brain disorder, putting it in the same category as a mental health disorder:

Signs and symptoms of AUD include:

• Constant cravings and intensive
• Enhanced tolerance and the need for more alcohol to achieve the same impact.
• Frequent cravings and a strong urge to drink.
• Withdrawal from alcohol use disorder
• Making drinking the priority over your physical and mental health and family
• Continued alcohol use despite harm to yourself or others.

Recognizing that alcohol use is not a moral failure but instead a disease that requires the help only a physician and mental health professional can provide, you can adjust your response. Treatment and alcohol rehab should be rooted in compassion, and that, combined with education, is more impactful than judgment or forced coercion.

The Parents’ Emotional Journey

Parents often experience intense emotional turbulence. Some of the most prominent symptoms that manifest during substance use disorder for a loved one who can’t control alcohol consumption include:

• Grief over the loss of who your son once was
• Guilt over their alcohol dependence
• Anger at broken promises regarding abusing alcohol
• Shame and fear of judgment from others when considering treatment centers

This emotional rollercoaster is further compounded by the false hope that you can remedy these mental disorders if you show hard enough or show enough love.

However, addiction isn’t something you can argue away or force to disappear without evidence-based behavioral treatments. If your son’s addiction consumes your life, Icarus Behavioral Health knows how to deal with codependency.

Begin by permitting yourself to exist without blame. Seeking therapy for your family and adult family therapist isn’t selfish on your part; it’s just sensible.

Prepping Before Intervening

Before taking action to connect your son with the proper support group, family therapy, or other facility that provides evidence-based treatment, you must prepare yourself emotionally and mentally.

Educating Yourself Regarding The Drinking Problem

Learn as much as you can about the drinking problem before you help your son enter treatment. Study addiction, family counseling, the recovery process, and anything else about the recovery of your alcoholic son.

Seek Guidance

Before confronting your alcoholic son, talk to a licensed social worker or counselor, addiction specialist, or interventionist. Establishing a support system makes a massive difference in how you tackle the issue.

Clarify Your Goals

What do you want to achieve in the end? Is your goal immediate treatment for your adult child? Are you looking for mutual support groups? Or do you simply want to discuss options regarding your loved one’s drinking? Consider the position of the person struggling and form a plan that is most conducive to their recovery without exhausting yourself.

Know Your Limits

You can’t force someone into long-term sobriety. However, you can control your actions and how you manage stress. Be mindful of your responses to your son’s enabling behaviors and adjust accordingly.

Communicating With Your Son

Confrontation can quickly create conflict if the approach is poorly timed and uses the wrong tone. Your empathy and concern for their well-being matter deeply, which must be evident from the beginning.

Attempt to:

• Select a calm, sober moment to speak about a treatment plan
• Speak from a place of care, not accusation. Encourage, don’t attack.
• Use phrases like, “I’m worried about your drinking, but I’m here to support you in your battle against substance abuse and encourage you to be the best version of yourself.”
• Listen while they speak, but remain engaged and do not interrupt.
• Focus on emotional support, the recovery journey, and not your personal feelings regarding their diagnosis or alcohol problems.

Avoid:

• Yelling, shaming, and any type of name-calling are not allowed. Remember, ongoing support is vital, and patience is imperative throughout this process.
• Bringing up past failures during their time drinking.
• Making empty threats to your adult child.

Use “I” Statements

Use statements like, “I feel scared when I see you come home with no regard for your well-being after getting drunk. I want to encourage you and see you happy.”

These types of statements disarm any defensive invitations between your alcoholic son or other family members.

Intervention Options and Tips

There are plenty of additional resources available through the Mental Health Services Administration. However, use the following intervention options to help deploy a smoother transition into treatment when a one-on-one conversation isn’t enough. If your son resists or denies the addiction, a formal intervention in the person’s life with the help of loved ones can help.

What Is An Intervention?

An intervention is a structured meeting led by loved ones. It is typically guided by counselors who are experienced in providing professional help.

Steps Include:

• Planning with your insurance provider or rehab facilities
• Preparing statements and setting healthy boundaries
• Offering treatment options at the moment of substance use intervention
• Avoid blame and focus on love, concern, and professional help.

Never stage an intervention when your son is intoxicated. Don’t approach an intervention without a plan. Emotions run high; unless you’re fully prepared, poor execution can damage the trust and other forms of positive rapport you’ve built.

Treatment and Recovery Resources

No “one size fits fall” exists during counseling sessions or rehab. However, evidence-based options exist that are likely the most impactful options available:

Inpatient Treatment

Residential treatment allows families dealing with more intensive addiction issues to provide their son with therapy covered by his health insurance plan at a facility like Icarus Behavioral Health, one of the finest national institute options available for addiction. If your son has a co-occurring medical condition or an SUD that includes withdrawal symptoms, this is likely the best option.

Outpatient Programs

This provides a flexible form of treatment for clients with job or family responsibilities that don’t allow an extended residency at our treatment facility. This is excellent for moderate to less severe addiction challenges.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

FDA-approved medications like Naltrexone, acamprosate, or Disulfiram can help manage cravings and support abstinence. These allow clients to avoid the uncomfortable physical withdrawal while learning to balance everyday life again.

Therapy Modalities

• CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): This helps rewire the brain to foster more positive thoughts and behaviors to replace negative responses that lead to substance use.
• DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) teaches emotional regulation and distress tolerance when volatile situations arise.
• 12-Step Programs: Alcoholics Anonymous and alternatives like SMART Recovery are impactful support groups for peers to associate with each other and share stories of success and recovery.

Support for Parents and Families

You need just as much support as your son. Addiction is a disease that impacts the entire family. Family support groups include:

• Al-Anon: This is for family members of alcoholics.
• Nar-Anon: For families of people with drug addictions.
• Parent-Specific Groups: Certain communities offer addiction-specific parenting workshops.

Consider Individual or Family Therapy

Family counseling can uncover harmful dynamics and lead to healthy communication that usually doesn’t occur during unled conversations.

Create a Family Recovery Plan

This includes drawing lines in the sand that shouldn’t be crossed, relapse planning, and other family members’ roles during the recovery process.

When Interventions Backfire

It’s heartbreaking when your son refuses help. However, denial is a staple of addiction, and many resist treatment until they face a life-changing consequence. Try the following steps:

• Reaffirm your boundaries. “I won’t support you financially while you’re actively drinking.”
• Protect other family members, especially children.
• Find legal advice if the behaviors endanger your son or others around him.

You can pursue court-mandated treatment in specific locations, especially if your son poses a risk to himself. This process can be complex, so consult with an attorney or Icarus Behavioral Health for professional advice on this route of action.

The Long-Term View: Recovery Is a Lifetime Journey

Recovery is not linear with a finish line. Relapse isn’t failure; it’s a part of the journey for many. Be prepared for setbacks, but don’t let them define the results.

Measure recovery in more than just numbering days of sobriety. Improvements in communication, honesty, self-care, decision-making, and self-awareness improvements are significant.

Rebuilding trust is a slow but possible process. It’s okay to love your son and still have feelings of anger, fear, or exhaustion. Healing is a family process, not just the individual in recovery.

You’re Never Alone With Icarus On Your Side

Helping an alcoholic son is one of the most challenging journeys any parent can face. However, it’s not a process that comes without hope. With the proper tools, support, and perspective, you can become a significant source of strength and stability in moments of crisis.

You can’t walk the path of recovery for your son, but you can always be there beside them. In addition, this process can play out while you simultaneously take care of yourself. Compassion, clarity, boundaries, and community are your greatest allies during the walk towards sobriety.

If you have a son or other family member who is struggling with alcohol addiction, contact Icarus Behavioral Health New Mexico today. You deserve support just as much as your son. Icarus provides healing for all parties involved and can help your family return to a healthy, thriving unit.