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Best Friend is alcoholic...need advice

My longtime friend who is 36 has a drinking problem. We all partied a lot in our younger days but he is the one in the group who basically hasn't stopped. He now mainly drinks alone about a 12 pack of beer a day. He also takes 2 mg of adivan for anxiety. He's probably been consuming this amount of beer for about 15 years. He recently told me his liver count was high but he didn't tell the DR he was a drinker because he didn't want him to stop the RX of adivan. The Dr suggested taking fish oil for his high liver count. He's told me he wants to quit drinking and get back in shape. We used to be very athletic into surfing, etc. What can I do to help him. I don't think he can quit on his own. I'm sure he drinks because he is a little lonely. Most of us have families now but he is still the single bachelor living the lifestyle. Any advice would be appreciated. He also smokes pot, which I guess is a whole other issue.

Thanks!
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794091 tn?1264986339
I used ativan to controll my shakes . That way they were less noticable . The anxiety would come from withdraw . But when self dosing . You learn to ignore what is in your  face. He may not know why he does these things . Only that he must. A.A. is O.K. for some .I used therapy and cognitive weekly meetings at addiction clinic . I would address what is killing him 1st . Every thing ealse comes in the wake . Of coarse every thing is easier with support . But quitting is a one man show !  Bill
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729009 tn?1237326883
I was diagnosed with cirrhosis at age 34 purely from alcohol abuse. Tell him that. I'm glad he has the idea of wanting to get sober on his own. Be a big cheerleader and get everyone else to give him props frequently, too.  Some folks are convinced AA is totally hokey, and it is a little bit, BUT the feeling of being around these people with the same problem as you is disarming. They are totally friendly... they even have cookies and coffee sometimes. They usually have booklets for your area and help find him one that's close and that he'll continue to go to. Maybe even go with him?  You're a good friend and I'd worry about the alcohol first before tackling the other. Just my opinion. Take care!
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455167 tn?1259257871
hi. if your friend is willing to do whatever is necessary to stop and stay stopped, there is a solution. mixing ativan and alcohol can be dangerous on two fronts. first, in combination, they can cause the respiratory centers of the brain to shut down---a lot of people die like this. second, both of these are cns depressants that when removed can induce life-threatening complications from withdrawal. a medical detoxification may be needed to withdraw safely. there is a lot more to chemical dependency than loneliness as well, in reference to causes. it is a much more serious condition than most realize or want to admit because of the stigma our society attaches to it. elevated liver counts are likely an indication of damage that could be reversed if it isn't too far advanced, but all the fish oil and proper nutrition in the world will not help if he continues to consume alcohol. it will get worse, and liver disease is not a pleasant outcome. smoking pot is not another issue. it doesn't matter what we use to change the way we feel, what's important is addressing why we do it in the first place. alcohol and pot are both drugs, and if he is a real alcoholic he will have to understand this. for that matter, ativan is highly addictive as well and has similar effects on neurotransmitter function as alcohol, so it may need to be changed or adjusted in dose. i'm a prime candidate for ativan, xanax, or valium myself, but they would likely kill me whereas the anxiety i'm trying to deal with through other medications and therapies. i would highly recommend checking out al-anon (yourself) to get some further insight and aa for your friend. he is also going to have to come clean with his doctor, or else wait until the repercussions of the physical damage become too great to ignore or hide. check out some of the other posts on this site as well. the future for your friend is likely not going to be very pleasant if he continues on this path, but if he's ready, there is help available. best wishes,  gm
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