here2helpdad

I'm here as a newbie. I am trying to look for help for my dad. I have kinda a long story, so bear with it if you can My dad has been an on and off again drinker for a long long time. Never excessive that I remembered. After his last divorce, he became depressd and showed up at my house after making mixed drinks while driving to see me. He showed up drunk and on prescription drugs. After I realized what was going on, he told me he wanted to kill himself, then threw up all over my house, I feared for his health, so I called some people, who verified he would be fine. The next morning, I took him out to breakfast and he said that he would be starting a rehab program, to my knowledge (from what he told me) he did finish one. I thought he was fine, but then the next time we were togethor, he was drunk the whole time. He doesn't seem to be concerned for himself whatsoever, and drives constantly while under the influence. I have no idea what to do now. I thought maybe to write him a letter, or send him pamphlets, but I somehow doubt that'll do any good. If there are any dads out there that went through a similair situation, I'd love to hear from you. Also, I would love to hear anyone elses comments, concerns, anything. Thanks!

Magichappens

Hi h2hd,
Welcome to SR. I know how painful and frustrating it is to see a loved one get sucked down by alcohol and drugs. There's not much we can do to help them unless they want help. All we can do is try to keep ourself from getting sucked down with them.

There is a lot of support on this forum for families and friends going through similar situations. Feel free to browse the forums, post, or reply. I wish there was a magic answer to this, but all we can offer is love support and prayers. If your dad has been through rehab, he is already familiar with recovery. When he is ready, it's there for him. He may have to go through some tough lessons before he is ready. Getting invovled with family recovery can be a great influence. Hope you find something here that helps you. Glad you joined us. Hugs, Magic

There are meetings that you can attend. To find a meeting, http://www.al-anon-alateen.org/ and select "Find a Meeting."

here2helpdad

Thanks so much for replying. I appreciate it!

Lorelai

Welcome to SR, here2helpdad !
I'm sure you'll find a lot of information on the boards as you read the posts. It's amazing how similar our stories are.

My husband is an alcoholic and I know how frustrating it can be. As Magic says, the important thing is for us to learn ways to deal with the situation better and make our own lives happier. Your dad will change what he is doing if and when he decides to change. You don't have to live your life worrying about it though.
I'm glad you're here -
L

cwohio

here2helpdad - i think it is wonderful that you are concerned about your dad and his disease. like magic and lorelai have said, until he wants to help himself all you can do is focus on you. there is good information on this site and i'm sure many will respond with words of support!

cwohio