If you are reading this then you either have helped or need to find help for a family member or friend with an addiction to alcohol.
IMPORTANT - Your friend could be so far gone with alcohol they are displaying signs of Whet Brain. If this is the case the condition only gets worse and the brain function (memory loss, balance, not eating) continues to deteriorate. Unlike the liver this is irreversible damage. You should treat this as an emergency and contact emergency services.
The audience for this blog is global, as addiction can affect anyone AND anywhere in the World. All views and opinions are my own. Like many things, treatment for alcohol addiction is not standardised globally and in some countries it will not be regulated. In some countries you will find some free help from your healthcare provider / insurer but lets not mess about; for the vast majority it is an expensive process to put them through a treatment plan for alcohol addiction.
So,try your best (ideally between you both) to get it right, first time, like myself. I feel very grateful I have no cravings nor desire to reach for the bottle. But, remember, we are all unique. AND, I agree to taking medication, I have a brilliant support network if needed and I believe in being a better person without alcohol to be true.
Here are a few things to consider if you are looking to help an alcoholic friend or family member. I can only talk about my experience, and that's a KEY thing to consider if you are trying to help a loved 1 get off alcohol & to put a stop to unusual behaviours that are often upsetting, and, or destressing:
Are they willing to give it 100%? If not, then I would refuse any further support until they can see they need help. Again, our situations are all new unique. I was told by my husband that if I didnt stop then our marriage was over. That's what it took me. To see him crying in desperation for me to get better. I
Mobile devices are not good for anyone when over used. When chosing and attending rehab I left my phone, laptop & ipad locked away. I was a workaholic, Covid was rife (June 2020), my businesses were ticking along and I had this once in a lifetime opportunity to give it my best chance. I know I am 1 of a handful that have not relapsed and I think this is a huge contributing factor to my ongoing successes. But, now at my own pace.
Unfortunately, from my experience of living in the United Kingdom (Scotland mainly) and the Canary Islands, Spain, there is very little free medical or psychiatric help available; unless you pay or are willing to wait. I know of someone that was fast tracked and was attended to in Santa Cruz de Tenerife within 5 months (government funded).
Addiction is a mental health condition and should be treated as such. General doctors can have a mixed approach to what they are willing, or able to offer. And, indeed, their approach to the disease / illness in all parts of the World will vary drastically due to religion, traditions, sexism, homphobia, racism etc. Basically, all the stuff most of us dislike about the world.
If private treatment isn't available or possible then learn from myself & others that are willing to share ideas that worked for them. You (as the family member or friend affected by addiction) and the addict need to believe in them and be inspired by their achievements. It's like picking a football, cricket, rugby team, or your doubles partner. You want the best players in the best position to help your recovery ride.
For myself, rehab for alcoholism was a wake up call. I felt I grew up whilst under their care. Simplification & identification helped massively, as at first I felt lost. My learnings were the pretty basic principles of a good / better person being reinforced. In my case I detoxed under their medical supervision for 2/3 days before I attended any therapy.
If private treatment is a possibility then try your best to match the right techniques, style, therapists & the right level of psychiatric attention is needed. We are all unique, therefore try and help your addict friend or family by identifying treatment centers / centres that are in your budget & suited to as their needs as much as possible.
A little bit more about me. At the age of 44 I finally admitted I had a problem with booze.
I knew nothing about treatment centres apart from the famous 1 known across the UK. I ended up by chance at Delamere Rehab, in Manchester, UK. Mainly as it looked my type of place, but I believe I was lucky with my selection. I was given the ultimatum so I was collected and in rehab within 48 hours (they provided the driver from Stirlingshire, Scotland to Cheshire in England). There were a few patients from overseas, but the rest, from all over the UK.
I've learned lots about the cloke & dagger World of alcohol rehabilitation centres since. This includes treatment types, how they attract customers, are they regulated in your country & whether they have the facilities to offer a full on detox as well.
Since leaving I have remained in sobriety. I take meds that are prescribed to myself. After rehab I spent 5 months hardgraft, basically practisicing what I had been tought and learning what free and paid resources were available (I also used AA online meeting extensively during this period). It was during Covid19 so I know that helped massively with time being made available and for me to fine tune my recovery ride goals, conditions & life ahead. I only considered travelling (to a dry boot camp type experience) at the very last moment.
It wasn't until I travelled in November 2020 (mainly because of the triggers but also Covid 19 was still very much an on / off problem) when I took a trip from Scotland, U.K. to Tenerife which forms part of the Canary Islands archipelago and Spain. But, I also travelled with my husband.
I was in a fortunate position to be able to stay, remain sober, buy a house, create and register dryHOLIDAYS, relocate 1 of my resuce dogs, deal with employment tribunals, close a big business, start a divorce, 2 deaths, deal with 4 insurance claims, 2 of which destroyed my business rather than save it, lost my elderly dog Angus to old age, got good at golf again, helping others through sobriety & life in general, with very little thanks (however, it is good I have experienced addiction as a friend affected by addiction) I have also become a Spanish resident whilst also running our dryBNB - Casa Salvia in Icod, Tenerife and the dryVACATIONRENTAL for 2 in Las Aguas, Tenerife.
If you would like to know more about my experience at Deleamere Rehab or to enquire about dryHOLIDAYS then please send me a message on WhatsApp 0034620757254, DM on Insta or send me a private email hello@dryholidays.com
Rooms at Casa Salvia Icod (dryBNB or dryVACATIONRENTAL) start at only EUR 30 PPPN, based on 2 sharing. EUR 50 PPPN for solo travellers. Discounts for longer stays.
All accommodation types have their own private bathrooms with complimentary, refillable toiletries, complimentary transfers for all tours (see blog for details) and some longer stays.
For collaborations, please contact me directly.