An alcoholic’s excuses are legendary. All kinds of people who are addicted use excuses to deny that they have a problem. Still, with alcohol being a legal and socially acceptable substance of abuse, they can come up with many more believable excuses for indulging. If someone you love has a problem with drinking and constantly makes excuses, it can be frustrating when all you want to do is help. To get help, an alcoholic has to break through those excuses and fully admit to having a problem with alcohol.
If you know someone struggling with alcohol addiction, trying to get them help can be challenging. When you do get through to them, Recovery Ranch TN can help. Our beautiful alcohol addiction treatment center in Tennessee provides the perfect setting where people can focus on sobriety and building a better future. Our residential and on-site detox programs guide each person through the steps of substance use disorder treatment by getting sober and learning the skills for recovery. Call 1.844.876.7680 to learn more.
Getting Past an Alcoholic’s Excuses
You probably know too well what it’s like trying to get through to someone with alcoholic behavior. Here are some tips to get past an alcoholic’s excuses:
Meet Each Excuse with an Answer
If you have been around this person for a while, you probably know all of their alcoholic excuses by now. Think of a logical response to each one. For instance, if they say they need to drink at the end of the day because of stress, point out that it makes them feel worse the next day and only adds to their stress. Also, provide examples of other ways to cope with stress, such as exercise, meditation, reading a good book, or watching a favorite TV show. Wear them down with logical answers to their illogical excuses.
Enlist Family and Friends
Of course, your alcoholic loved one will not immediately respond positively to your answers to their excuses. They will probably accuse you of nagging them. They may even add another excuse: no one else seems to have a problem with my drinking. Counteract this excuse and all the others by bringing in family and friends to join your cause. It’s much harder to remain in denial when everyone confronts them about their problem.
Use an Interventionist
“What is an interventionist?” you might wonder. This is an expert you can call in if you still can’t break through their excuses, even with the help of others. An intervention is a planned confrontation to express concerns to an addict in a loving and supportive way. Hosting an intervention can be overwhelming or even scary. You may not be sure how your alcoholic loved one will react. A professional interventionist can help you set up a meeting with the best chances of success and to minimize a violent reaction.
Provide Solutions
Finally, make sure you offer solutions when confronting your alcoholic loved one and their many excuses. Breaking through and getting them to admit to having a problem is a great success, but you’re stuck if you don’t have an answer to their problem. Your interventionist can help you be ready with resources for treatment. Make sure that your resources come with the promise of support. They will need the support of you and others to be successful in treatment.
Loving an alcoholic who makes constant excuses for their drinking can be difficult, but by challenging those excuses and offering help, you are doing all you can to help them get well. Alcohol rehab success rates are good when the person has the love and support of someone like you.
Break Alcohol Addiction Behavior at Recovery Ranch TN
Here at Recovery Ranch TN, we understand how difficult it is to watch someone you love suffer from addiction. We also know that addiction doesn’t have to be a life sentence. Our residential and on-site detox programs provide the structure and support people need to break their addiction and start building a better future. Call us today at 1.844.876.7680 or contact our team online to get started.
