Many of us have a family member or friend who drinks too much and just won't, or can't, quit drinking.
Sometimes they admit they have a problem, sometimes they don't.
Either way, your attempts to change the situation just aren't working.
You may be just starting on your journey to help the person, or you may have already been through years of frustration.
What can you do? The first criteria is to keep loving them.
It can be hard - sometimes they've all but ruined your life.
But you have to look deep inside and find the love you used to have.
Remember them as they were, remember them before they were alcoholics.
Even though that person you once knew may seem to be nowhere in sight, underneath the mess they still have the same lovable qualities and characteristics that attracted you to them in the first place.
If the problem is with your child, the same is true.
Underneath the alcohol, there is someone there worth loving.
Just about everyone is.
And act like you love them.
Don't nag, criticize, scream, yell or lecture.
They already feel guilty enough - making them feel more guilty will drive them deeper into their problem - and no matter what you have to say when you're preaching, they've probably heard it all before.
There are all kinds of other suggestions out there - getting rid of the alcohol in the house, restricting activities that involve, or might involve drinking, giving them an ultimatum, living a good and healthy lifestyle yourself - and all of these are valuable.
But, the truth is this; unless you get to the bottom of why they're drinking and address those problems successfully - which means putting them back in control of their lives, their emotions and their future - nothing you do is likely to work.
There are literally thousands of websites, books, support groups and other resources designed to teach someone how to deal with a problem drinker and get them to quit drinking.
Despite all of these, there are millions of heavy drinkers, and millions of people who are trying to get them to quit drinking and not getting anywhere.
Even when they seem to be making progress, it rarely lasts.
Why? Because none of the things they've done have gotten to the root of the problem and enabled the person to identify the changes they need to make in their lives and given them the tools to make those changes.
That's what a good addiction treatment center can do.
That's why you need experienced professionals who've dealt with this kind of situation over and over again and know how to reach an alcoholic, find out what's going on, and help them turn things around.
If you've followed all the advice you can think of, get the person into an addiction treatment center where they can do a full alcohol rehab program.
It doesn't just get them to quit drinking, it helps them change their lives.
And that's really the help they need.
Sometimes they admit they have a problem, sometimes they don't.
Either way, your attempts to change the situation just aren't working.
You may be just starting on your journey to help the person, or you may have already been through years of frustration.
What can you do? The first criteria is to keep loving them.
It can be hard - sometimes they've all but ruined your life.
But you have to look deep inside and find the love you used to have.
Remember them as they were, remember them before they were alcoholics.
Even though that person you once knew may seem to be nowhere in sight, underneath the mess they still have the same lovable qualities and characteristics that attracted you to them in the first place.
If the problem is with your child, the same is true.
Underneath the alcohol, there is someone there worth loving.
Just about everyone is.
And act like you love them.
Don't nag, criticize, scream, yell or lecture.
They already feel guilty enough - making them feel more guilty will drive them deeper into their problem - and no matter what you have to say when you're preaching, they've probably heard it all before.
There are all kinds of other suggestions out there - getting rid of the alcohol in the house, restricting activities that involve, or might involve drinking, giving them an ultimatum, living a good and healthy lifestyle yourself - and all of these are valuable.
But, the truth is this; unless you get to the bottom of why they're drinking and address those problems successfully - which means putting them back in control of their lives, their emotions and their future - nothing you do is likely to work.
There are literally thousands of websites, books, support groups and other resources designed to teach someone how to deal with a problem drinker and get them to quit drinking.
Despite all of these, there are millions of heavy drinkers, and millions of people who are trying to get them to quit drinking and not getting anywhere.
Even when they seem to be making progress, it rarely lasts.
Why? Because none of the things they've done have gotten to the root of the problem and enabled the person to identify the changes they need to make in their lives and given them the tools to make those changes.
That's what a good addiction treatment center can do.
That's why you need experienced professionals who've dealt with this kind of situation over and over again and know how to reach an alcoholic, find out what's going on, and help them turn things around.
If you've followed all the advice you can think of, get the person into an addiction treatment center where they can do a full alcohol rehab program.
It doesn't just get them to quit drinking, it helps them change their lives.
And that's really the help they need.