Alcohol

Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much

This Guide is written for primary care and mental health clinicians. It has been produced by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a component of the National Institutes of Health, with guidance from physicians, nurses, advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, and clinical researchers.

Help for Friends & Family of Alcoholics

It can be hard having a loved one who is an alcoholic. Those
who do often struggle with these issues:

  • Worrying about how much someone drinks
  • Having money problems because of someone else’s drinking
  • Telling lies to cover up for someone else’s drinking
  • Feeling that the drinker loved you, he or she would stop drinking to please you
  • Blaming the drinker’s behavior on his or her companions
  • Having plans frequently upset or canceled or meals delayed because of the drinker
  • Making threats, such as, "If you don’t stop drinking, I’ll leave you."
  • Secretly try to smell the drinker’s breath
  • Fear of confronting someone for fear it will set off a drinking bout

Addiction Info & Help

This page contains extensive information regarding resources for addiction to drugs, pills and/or substances. Click on the links for detailed information.