WHEN WILL THE DRINKING STOP ??

This is something we often ask ourselves :

 "HOW LONG HAVE I GOT TO WAIT UNTIL THE DRINKING STOPS??

We desperately want out life to get back to "normal" (or what we think is normal for us) and not affected by our loved one's drinking.  How long will it take for him/her to stop drinking??????????

The answer is :  No-one can possibly know.  Your loved one does not know.  The best doctor will not know.  And YOU, unfortunately, can do NOTHING about it.

This is not what we want to hear, is it?

But this is the reality we face, we who live with and love an alcohol abuser. There is no answer to the question of "How long?"

This is the reality of our situation: we have to accept that our drinker will continue drinking, unless something changes their mind. 

Oh thank God, there is something - what will change their mind?

Unfortunately again, no-one can know. But we HOPE that one day, if we are patient and continue to love our affected loved one, they will find that magic and elusive reason to stop drinking.

In the meantime, all we can do is:

• Accept that we have to live with alcohol abuse for the time being
• Hope that one day our ddrinker may find a reason to stop drinking
• Continue to love them and remember that they are suffering from a disease, a cunning and baffling disease of the mind
• Have compassion for our affected loved one
• Start to think about looking after OURSELVES

To start YOU thinking about looking after YOURSELF, have a look at the HELP PAGES over on the right - there you will find ways to get help for yourself.

Again, remember that your loved one is not evil, they are just affected by a serious disease of the mind.