My son is an alcoholic. He went to rehab in Oct 2014 for a couple of months. Since then he hasnt drunk but smokes tobacco a great deal.
He is now very depressed. Stays in his room and stopped going out to do shopping etc. He only goes out when it is dark.
He says that if he told me what is wrong it would cause problems but he wont say what.
He says he doesnt crave alcohol. We are in our 70s and 80s and dont know how to help him.
Hi
Sorry to hear about your sons problems.
Does he have a support worker or someone who can talk to him,Or perhaps get him to go to the doctors or therapy,sometimes taking to a stranger is easier than taling to family.
I understand it must be difficult and worrying for you
So try and get some help for both your sakes.
This forum is very good you will get supprt here.
Thanks for your quick response. He had a support worker and used to go there regularly after he returned from rehab. He says he has done enough of that and has no wish to go back. I have suggested he see his GP because he can tell him what is bothering him.
He refuses to contact anyone. Very worrying for us his parents. My husband who has severe vision problems as well as hearing problems says that perhaps we should not bug him anymore. That we should leave him to decide what he wants to do.
He gets very angry if I make any kind of suggestions.
You really have to get him to see someone and talk
Does he have any brothers or sisters that can talk to him?
Yes he has an older brother who has mental issues and an older sister who is married with two children. She has also given up trying to help him. This morning she called and suggested he go with them to a garden centre to buy plants etc but he turned her down.
Excessive drinking over the years has caused him to develop peripheral neuropathy which causes him a few problems but to help him he takes Vitamim B tablets as his GP had recommended.
I am hoping that he will bounce out of his depression.
Im sorry I dont know what else to suggest, I do think he should see a mental health professional but its how your going to persaude him to do that.
Best of luck
Your comments and suggestions have helped me enormously. Yes he needs to see a mental health person like he has done in the past but persuading him to do so is another matter.
Just wondering if it is to do with him being a male that makes it all the more difficult to seek help. I think women are generally better at seeking help.
Thank you so much.
That is sometimes the case unfortunatley
Let me know how thing go
Thank you and will keep you posted if things change.
I agree you need to get your son help or it can get worse. He is not going for help himself and he won't open up
if he does not get the help depression can lead in death and i pray that it does not happen to him
Hi There,
I would make an appointment with a counsillor and discuss how he is feeling tell him there will be a number of issues mentally when one stops addiction I also was a bad drunk pill popper and it still haunts me to this day accepting you have a problem is the hardest and toughest part for both person and their family. Tell him there is light at the end of the tunnel but he will have to want to find it. all the best
Hi. I'm really sorry to hear you are all going through this. As a relative you can phone his gp and express your concerns to them.
The dr can't disclose any personal information regarding your son but may be able to refer him to the community crisis team who may be able to come to see him. If not, they could have access to other avenues to help your son. Dr's have a duty of care if they think someone is at risk and at least your concerns can be noted with them so they can make the decision about how to help best treat your son. Good luck x
Hello there
Depression affects most of us in some way or other... Does your son have any friends, if not, what has happened my dear. He really needs to speak with someone, how would he feel about talking to someone in a forum like this or even on the phone.... Perhaps you can suggest for him to write it down and get it out of his head... Please tell him he deserves to be happy and you may not be abled to sort out his life..... But there are people out there that might be abled to lesson the load. Hope this helps..