A person with an alcohol problem can have a real effect on the lives of those around them including parents, partners, children, siblings and friends. Friends and family members may feel guilty because they may think they have somehow contributed to their loved ones addiction, and may also feel guilt that they couldn’t help them. 

We understand that this can be a very stressful time for all those involved and therefore we have provided a Relatives/ Carers section within our Wellbeing Portal to support you in your understanding of the issues related to alcohol linking to your relative or friend.  We hope by providing this advice and information that you can gain the support for yourself and importantly for the person you have concerns or are caring for.

It is a really difficult time, for you, when someone you care for develops an alcohol problem. 

Their drinking can cause many difficulties, not just for the person consuming alcohol, but also for their family and friends.  When somebody you care about uses alcohol to excess this can cause significant issues for the families and carers associated with the person.

Stigma and shame are often associated with alcohol misuse, which can mean that families and carers often suffer in silence creating severe isolation, which can then result in anxiety, depression and other associated health problems.  When you discover that someone you care about is using excessive alcohol this can lead to a number of emotions including anger, worry, or even confusion.

We want to help both the person you are supporting and you as an individual to gain the right guidance, advice and support to assist with this potentially stressful situation.  We have therefore provided Local Alcohol Service contact information and Carer support information within the Getting more information section, below.

Suggesting reducing the amount of alcohol your relative/ friend is drinking will not always be welcome advice, particularly if they do not believe there is an issue.  This also may be the case if you suggest they seek professional advice to help with what you see has a problem.

Trying to highlight the issue and them acknowledging their problem with alcohol will be the first major hurdle to overcome.  We have provided important advice and information that is contained within the Patient element of the Wellbeing Portal that could be suggested to the person you are caring for as the initial starting point in their own journey in gaining help.  

This may result in them in making their first steps towards abstinence by attending a specialist service following an initial contact.  There may be occasions given their alcohol intake that you advocate on their behalf.  You really need to gain their consent before you support the process in making contact with services.  The specialist Alcohol Service linking to your area can be found in the Getting more information section.

The government has recommended guidelines on alcohol use and these are measured in units. Measuring in units may not come naturally and sometimes it is easier to think about units in terms of actual alcoholic drinks that you’re familiar with.

The government have set alcohol guidelines. Guidelines for men and women are now the same and recommend that:-

• No more than 14 units of alcohol per week
• Spread the 14 units over at least three days of the week
• Try to have regular alcohol free days

Here is an illustration of what 14 units of alcohol looks like against certain alcoholic beverages based on average percentage strengths.  This information should help your relative/ friend calculate safe alcohol consumption based on their alcoholic drink of choice

Also to reduce the short-term health risks of drinking (such as injuries from falling over) try to encourage your relative:-

• limit the amount in one sitting
• drink slowly
• try to drink with food and space drinks with water or soft drinks

No known level of drinking is completely safe, especially in terms of illnesses such as cancer.