My brother is in his 40's he has been an alcholic for many many years. Any advice on how to get him to start to stop drinking? Thanks!
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If your brother is willing, he needs a medical evaluation to assess whether or not he needs medical detoxification. Stopping cold turkey can be quite dangerous for people who have been drinking heavily on a daily basis. Sometimes detoxification can be accomplished on an outpatient basis, sometimes it requires hospitalization. Following detox, he will need extensive rehabilitation, to teach him to cope with life without picking up a drink. Active (daily, at first) in a Sel-Help group like Alcoholics Anonymous is always a good idea. If your brother isn't willing to get help, it would be a good idea for you and other concerned family members to attend Al Anon meetings. There you will meet others who are in a circumstance similar to yours. For extensive information about all of these topics, take a look at Ask DrSteve: The Real Story About Smoking, Drinking, and Getting High ( http://www.DrSteve.org) and click on the DRINKING button once you get to the home page (a direct hyperlink to Ask DrSteve is available at the top of this Addiction Medicine Forum). Good Luck!
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition. Steve Adelman, M.D. Keyword: alcholism, family, stopping drinking
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