What words of encouragement would you give to an alcoholic?

Question

What words of encouragement would you give to an alcoholic?

Answer 1

It can be done...and if you do go to AA, please take what you need and leave the rest.

Answer 2

The best thing you can do for this person is just be a friend.  Chances are, they gave up their old friends, hang outs, etc, and now must start a new life with new friends clean and sober.  Most alcohols fear that they're not fun when they're not drunk, when the opposite is true, they were NO fun when they were drunk.  I would just try and be their friend and encourage them to take it one day at a time.

I know you hear the one day at a time a lot, but it's true.  With anything anyone is trying to quit, if you try and look at it from a point of view that you're quitting it for life, it's going to make it harder, but if you try and encourage them to make it through the next few hours or day, it makes it a little easier and soon enough, all those days add up to months and those months add up to years!  It's just easier to take it in smaller steps than say take it month by month, day by day is an easier way to take things.

Just encourage this person to work their AA program, get a sponsor, go to their meetings, etc.  They have to do this for themselves, you can be their friend and be there for them, but you can't do the program for them, they have to do that for themselves.  You can just let that person know you accept him/her for who they are, and that you're there for them.  

Good luck to you and your friend.  I hope everything works out for him/her and that he has a smooth road to recovery!