My Dad is Addicted to Alcohol
I’m Ananth, from Indiana.
Q: My father drinks daily. He has 4 beers per day and1 full bottle of whiskey. How can I get rid of my dad’s habit? My family and I are suffering a lot because of his addiction.
Answer
Hi,
Thank you for writing in with your question; it’s a very common one. A lot of people have loved ones that have problems with drugs and alcohol and they want to know how they can fix the problem. I wish there was an easy solution for your problem and for your dad’s problem with alcohol. Unfortunately, there isn’t an easy answer that will solve all your problems.
The first thing I would suggest is talking to your dad. Does he really know how much his drinking is hurting you and the rest of your family? Have you ever told him how you really feel? I’m not saying that talking to him will solve anything, but it might give him some motivation to stop drinking.
If he doesn’t know that you and your family are being affected, he may not think there is anything wrong with his drinking.
You could talk to him in person, or write it to him in a letter if you aren’t sure you can say everything you need to in person.
If your dad is open to trying to quit drinking, you may want to look up Alcoholics Anonymous meetings where you live. I do know that some parts of India have Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, but I’m not all that familiar with India and I’m not sure exactly where you live. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings can be really helpful for people who are trying to quit drinking.
The bottom line is that you cannot make your dad stop drinking and you can’t ‘fix’ his problem. He has to want to stop drinking on his own and be willing to accept help. I’m sorry I can’t give you a more concrete answer, but trying to get someone to stop drinking can be really difficult and confusing.
If there’s anything else you want help with, please let us know!
Rae