Alcohol addiction is a problem that many Americans are facing. The issue has been plaguing families for a long time. Thankfully, there are many ways to fight this dreadful affliction. Your loved one took the steps to defeat his or her alcoholism and now needs you to help him or her get over that finish line. Alcohol addiction recovery is no easy feat, meaning your loved one still needs your help. You can help in the following four ways.

Get Informed

The first thing you should do is get informed about your loved one’s addiction. You probably did a lot of studying about how to help someone get into rehab or find help, but you also need to learn about recovery, which is something different. Talk to your loved one, and talk to the people who helped him or her overcome their alcohol addiction.

An important nugget of information that you need to know is your loved one’s triggers so that you can learn to avoid them. Of course, places where alcohol is sold is going to be one of them, but there are many others that you need to be aware of. Try to soak up as much information about your loved one’s recovery as you can.

Schedule in

It might be a good idea to schedule in your loved one into your life. This person is going through a hard time and needs support. There is no need to turn your whole life around; just try to be there as much as possible. Set up dates, and make sure that your loved one can reach you at all times.

A person recovering from this type of addiction can suffer setbacks, such as emotional setbacks. These incidents could make a person vulnerable to his or her addiction, which may lead this person to drink. You want to ensure you are that helping shoulder he or she needs instead of alcohol. Be sure to enlist help from others, just in case you cannot help at a certain time.

Get a Toolkit

Making sure a loved one has your support is important, but there are times when your loved one will be alone, which makes technology important. There are a number of tools you can use to help your loved one stay free of alcohol at all times. For example, there are enhanced breathalizers like Soberlink that could help your loved one avoid drunk driving.

This is not to say that your loved is going to drink, but it is a good reminder that tells a person in recovery that drinking means he or she will not be able to drive his or her car anywhere. Keep in mind that this is just one tool of many. You can also download apps that help a recovering alcoholic connect with others in the same situation to gain additional support during this journey.

Professional Boost

Your loved one has gone through a lot to get where he or she is now, but that does not mean this person is 100 percent. Emotional turmoil and the natural bitterness of life can still hurt a loved one, especially one that is not mentally equipped to deal with this. You and your loved one’s extended support system may be doing everything right, but a professional is trained to offer more support.

You need to consider having a loved one talk to a psychologist at this time to help him or her deal with whatever life throws at them. The person chosen to help needs to connect on a personal level with your loved one, so be sure to work with him or her on finding someone. Be patient when searching because this can take some time.

It Takes a Village to Combat Alcohol Addiction

Hopefully, some of these suggestions help your loved one stay on the right path. Talk to substance abuse experts to get additional advice that you might not be using at the moment. Remember, fighting this affliction should be a team effort, and you do not have to do this alone. Enlist others who care about your loved one.