A
female
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes:So my friend is a major alcoholic for his age. I wanna help him out but he drinks to be happy. A way that helped my cousin to stop drinking was to find that one special person who can make you stop drinking or someone you want to change for. Would this work or is there another idea i can give to help him out.
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female
reader, largentsgirl89 +, writes (28 December 2010):
 You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. I know that sucks (as a daughter of two alcoholics, one deceased last year) I know that really really sucks because it affects your life too.
Does your friend know that he is drinking way too much alcohol? Probably not. Perhaps put together an intervention where family and friends sit him down and say hey, you have a problem and you need to find better coping mechanisms. My son's biological father died because he was drunk on Father's Day and fell off of a roof and broke his neck. I hate alcohol.
If your friend doesn't get help soon, it could seriously affect his life. Emotionally, alcohol damages your brain and since he isn't even 21 yet, his brain isn't developed fully and that is very very bad; Does his family know about his problem?
There are groups that you can join to help you deal with his drinking problem and to better understand him. Teen Alanon. I was in it when I was 15 and it helped me understand more of what was going on. Perhaps that might be something to look into.
A
male
reader, dirtball +, writes (28 December 2010):
 Abella is right. He has to want to change for himself. Drinking to be happy is a clear sign of a problem drinker. AA would definitely be a good place for him.
It hurts to watch a friend destroy themself. I've had friends who were major alcoholics too. Usually you have to distance yourself from them because caring about them just hurts too much.
Let him know you care about him, and hope he will stop the self destructive drinking. Let him know you'll help him if you can, but until he asks, you'll be staying out of it. That way he knows he has a friend. He has someone he can go to for help if HE wants it. That's about all you can do.
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A
female
reader, Abella +, writes (28 December 2010):
 You cannot and should not try
This is your friend's problem, not yours
Your friend needs to join AA (alcoholics anonymous)
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