Is Your Loved One Drinking Too Much?

If someone you love is struggling with alcohol, you are not alone. Millions of families are affected by a loved one's drinking — and the confusion, fear, and exhaustion that comes with it is real.

Signs that alcohol may be a problem

You may have noticed some of these in someone close to you:

  • Drinking more than they intended, or more than before

  • Making promises to cut back but not following through

  • Mood swings, irritability, or personality changes around drinking

  • Neglecting responsibilities at work, home, or school

  • Withdrawing from family and friends

  • Continuing to drink despite problems it has caused

You cannot control it, cure it, or cause it

This is one of the hardest things for loved ones to accept. Alcoholism is a disease. No amount of pleading, bargaining, hiding bottles, or pouring drinks down the drain will stop someone who is not ready to stop. That is not a failure on your part — it is the nature of the illness.

What you can control is how you respond, and how well you take care of yourself.

Help is available — for you

Al-Anon is a free, confidential support program specifically for the families and friends of people with a drinking problem. You do not need to wait for your loved one to get help before you get help for yourself. Al-Anon meetings are held in person and online, every day, all over the world.

For meetings in the Greater New Orleans area visit: neworleansafg.org

For meetings anywhere in Louisiana visit: la-al-anon.org

Al-Anon Family Groups Phone:
1-888-4AL-ANON (1-888-425-2666)
Monday–Friday, 8am–6pm ET

If your loved one is ready for help

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who have found a way to live without alcohol. There are no dues or fees, and the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. AA members support one another through shared experience — not advice, not judgment, just one person talking to another about what worked for them.

AA meetings come in two types. Closed meetings are for people who think they may have a drinking problem and are for AA members only. Open meetings are different — they welcome anyone who is curious about AA and wants to understand how it works. Family members, friends, clergy, counselors, and anyone concerned about a loved one's drinking is welcome to attend an open meeting and observe.

As a guest at an open meeting you are there to listen. You will not be asked to speak, introduce yourself, or participate in any way. You simply sit, listen, and leave with a better understanding of what AA is and what recovery looks like from the inside.

If you want to see the solution your loved one is being pointed toward, attending an open meeting is the best way to do that.

Find an open AA meeting in New Orleans: aaneworleans.org/meetings

The difference between AA and Al-Anon

AA is for the person with the drinking problem. Al-Anon is for the people who love them. Both are free, both are anonymous, and both have helped millions of people find a way forward. You do not have to choose — many families find that attending both gives them the clearest picture of what they are dealing with and what recovery can look like.