It is not easy by any means to help alcoholics to recover. It is especially difficult to help an alcoholic who does not really want to quit drinking. In fact, most people would say that it is impossible and you should not even try to help them if they do not really want the help. This is probably good advice if you are spending a lot of time, resources, or mental energy in trying to help someone who continues to self destruct due to substance abuse.

Before you try to help an alcoholic you should first gauge their level of willingness. If they are not willing to help themselves in any way then you are basically wasting your time and energy. So try to determine if it is even worth your time to help them. A good rule of thumb for this is to figure out if they are willing to accept help that is suggested, or if they will only accept help for their problem on their own terms. If they are only willing to get help in their own way, then they are not really ready to stop drinking and you should not try to help them.

Now on the other hand, if the alcoholic in question is really ready to surrender their will to the disease, then they will ask for help and be ready to take some direction. They will admit that they are completely baffled by their condition and they will accept any reasonable suggestion that you give them. For example, they will be willing to attend recovery meetings or go to a treatment center if they are truly ready to get help. Fighting against these ideas is basically a form of denial.

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