My Aunty is Killing Herself, What Should I Do?

[routeeleven]

Her drinking is excessive and blatantly killing her.

She drinks a 60 pounder of Vodka every 2-3 days! That is at least 20 shots a day!

She says she is in "God's hands".... if "God" wants her to stop drinking then he will miraculously cure her of her addiction.

Foolish!

I was a big alcoholic, despite that I'm young I drank every single day for at least 5 years of my life. I use to do hard drugs and smoke my face off with marijuana all day every day.

I cured myself on my own! I didn't put my faith in God! I realized the damage I was doing and it was enough for me to wake up one morning completely sick of the life I was living.

She is going into treatment in January, for like the 10th time, and she says "Oh I gotta drink as much as I can since I'm going to treatment!"

A psychic warned my mother that we will find out how sick my aunty truly is come February...... Maybe I can prevent it.... I don't know what to do..

I was thinking if we all wrote letters and had a mini intervention maybe that would help. Or maybe it would just make things worse.

Has anyone ever been in my shoes? Or can anyone shed some light on this horrible situation?

Thanks.

[AzazelEblis]

Re: My Aunty is Killing Herself, What Should I Do?

First thing's first; understand that you're powerless over what she can and will likely do. Interventions, while a wonderful gesture, don't always work. Even with the most elaborate, well-planned intervention in the world, someone is going to do what they will. Does that mean you shouldn't try? Absolutely not. However, any expectation of success will only set yourself up for big resentments. I prefer to be surprised by success than more deeply disappointed by failure.

If there is one thing that I've learned a 12-Step program does, is guides a person (more gently) through those same realizations and corrective actions that you did. At the same time, there is an emphasis on faith that she will likely relate to. There isn't any "recovery stick" to just hit someone with, and some good ol' AA folks will tell her that she has to meet God halfway with some effort.

To your knowledge, has she ever heard a 12 Step call? It's a "last house on the block" kind of solution, but it could be an option. Do you know what kind of therapy took place at her other 9 treatment centers? I may be partial to the 12 Step idea, but the fact is, other means exist that often produce results. This includes "Rational-Behavioral Management Therapy", of which a Peer-Group lead environment statistically produces the best results.

[Monk]

Re: My Aunty is Killing Herself, What Should I Do?

^ This is very good and well stated.

Thinking of you and you Aunt in my prayers routeeleven.