Ok - I have a sister that spent 6 months in a Detox center, got out and apparently started drinking?

You're right - this is a dangerous cocktail. Librium is a benzodiazepene and when combined with alcohol, it's all too easy for the person to drift off and not wake up; both drugs lower respiration. The librium was apparently given to her to help her past alcohol withdrawal, and now that she is drinking, she shouldn't be taking it. If you know the name of her doctor, I suggest you call him and let him know what's happening. Due to confidentiality, he will not be able to respond with any information about your sister, but you can certainly advise him of what you've seen - so he can make better decisions about her care.

This is always hope for recovery. Sadly, this is a disease that is highly resistant to treatment, and routinely plagued by relapse and denial. I have a couple of suggestions for you.

Expand this post...

First off, get yourself to Alanon - and bring along any other family members who are affected by your sister's alcoholism. Alanon is for you, the loved ones around the alcoholic. It's a program of recovery for yourselves, to help you through the insanity of living with active addiction. In other words, we (I'm in recovery from addiction and alcoholism) make our loved ones crazy, no joke. Alanon is where those folks find ways of coping and taking care of themselves, and not allow the alcoholic to control their peace of mind. The support you'll find there is immeasurable.

Second, an alcoholic needs to hit bottom. And there are things you can do to help that along. My first suggestion is that the best thing anyone can do for an alcoholic (or addict) is to allow them to feel the full consequences of their addiction. Whenever our loved ones help us out (anything from bailing us out of jail to giving us a roof over our heads to making excuses for our behavior) - we fail to feel those full consequences. Our loved ones become our safety net, to cushion the fall. Don't do it.

It's not easy. The alcoholic is a master of manipulation, and one of our best weapons is guilt. But keep in mind, it's damned hard for an alcoholic to continue their path of destructive drinking if there is no one around to help them with it - in other words, no enabler. The more you can convince your family to back off - and not give us to the wants of the alcoholic - the more likely she is to realize she needs help.

In the meantime, Alanon will help you to do just that. They use the term, "lovingly detach" - which clearly applies. It doesn't have to be done in anger or malice; quite the opposite. It can be done with simply a firm voice and standing strong to the boundary you set with them. They have to see that you won't give in; you don't need to lecture and yell to get them to realize what you're doing.

It is a disease - it affects every aspect of the alcoholic's being, physical, mental and emotional - and it affects every aspect of the alcoholic's life. But the fact that it is a disease doesn't give them permission to continue on their path of destruction. Recovery IS possible.

God bless,

You're right - this is a dangerous cocktail. Librium is a benzodiazepene and when combined with alcohol, it's all too easy for the person to drift off and not wake up; both drugs lower respiration. The librium was apparently given to her to help her past alcohol withdrawal, and now that she is drinking, she shouldn't be taking it. If you know the name of her doctor, I suggest you call him and let him know what's happening. Due to confidentiality, he will not be able to respond with any information about your sister, but you can certainly advise him of what you've seen - so he can make better decisions about her care.

This is always hope for recovery. Sadly, this is a disease that is highly resistant to treatment, and routinely plagued by relapse and denial. I have a couple of suggestions for you.

Expand this post...

First off, get yourself to Alanon - and bring along any other family members who are affected by your sister's alcoholism. Alanon is for you, the loved ones around the alcoholic. It's a program of recovery for yourselves, to help you through the insanity of living with active addiction. In other words, we (I'm in recovery from addiction and alcoholism) make our loved ones crazy, no joke. Alanon is where those folks find ways of coping and taking care of themselves, and not allow the alcoholic to control their peace of mind. The support you'll find there is immeasurable.

Second, an alcoholic needs to hit bottom. And there are things you can do to help that along. My first suggestion is that the best thing anyone can do for an alcoholic (or addict) is to allow them to feel the full consequences of their addiction. Whenever our loved ones help us out (anything from bailing us out of jail to giving us a roof over our heads to making excuses for our behavior) - we fail to feel those full consequences. Our loved ones become our safety net, to cushion the fall. Don't do it.

It's not easy. The alcoholic is a master of manipulation, and one of our best weapons is guilt. But keep in mind, it's damned hard for an alcoholic to continue their path of destructive drinking if there is no one around to help them with it - in other words, no enabler. The more you can convince your family to back off - and not give us to the wants of the alcoholic - the more likely she is to realize she needs help.

In the meantime, Alanon will help you to do just that. They use the term, "lovingly detach" - which clearly applies. It doesn't have to be done in anger or malice; quite the opposite. It can be done with simply a firm voice and standing strong to the boundary you set with them. They have to see that you won't give in; you don't need to lecture and yell to get them to realize what you're doing.

It is a disease - it affects every aspect of the alcoholic's being, physical, mental and emotional - and it affects every aspect of the alcoholic's life. But the fact that it is a disease doesn't give them permission to continue on their path of destruction. Recovery IS possible.

God bless,
Ruth

(I just posted this a moment ago and it didn't show up - so I'm resending - sorry if it duplicates!)