Anonymous asked this question on 4/17/2000:

my brother is drinking all the time and swears he is not an alcoholic. He was arrested for driving drunk and he has lost a job and is about to lose this one. What can our family do?

steveazbell gave this response on 4/18/2000:

Unfortunatly little can be done for someone who is unwilling to even acknowledge there is a problem. I have heard of gutter drunks who if you had given them a lie detector test and asked them if alcohol was making their lives unmanagable, the needle wouldn't move a bit. Your brothers only home is that they lock him up in an asylum somewhere or he gets beaten badly enough by alcohol, he will be beaten into a state where he can be reasoned with. In the meantime, you are affected by this disease too. Making yourself poweless over alcohol due to his drinking. THere are ways to help you cope and help you help him too. 1st. Do not enable him in anyway. No money, do not let him spend the night in your home, let him sleep in the gutter. Don't promise him that if he quits drinking you will do some special thing for him. Non of that works. Instead, if he has a home, there are little things you can do. Put some literature about the disease of ALcoholism in his mail box. Tell him that you don't know, but if you are an alcoholic that you know some people who will talk to him, and don't lecture him alcoholics are notorious for beligerant denial. Get information of the ALcoholism sevices in your area. As I am partial to AA, I would call them and they will talk to you more extensivly of what you can do. ANd lets not forget that you have a problem to. Alanon has helped millions over the years and you can locate them in your area too. Good luck, if you have anything else I can help you with, please do not hesitate to ask. Steve