My father consumes alcohol in large amounts and most of the times. It has happened a lot of times that he lost his consciousness and suddenly fell down. And couldn't remember anything for a few minutes. He also has a kidney stone. But he's not having any treatment for that. Please tell me is it serious. Or effects of alcoholism?

Dr. Saul PereiraPsychologist47yrs exp

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Yes, drinking at this level is very serious. His Rock Bottom (which he has not yet reached) is looking like death! If he does not act responsibly, then one other member or many of you in the family can take the decision to admit him to a rehabilitation center. Ideally, your father should want to give up alcohol himself to begin with. If not, it is going to be an uphill task and to the most part impossible. However, you should not be in want of trying. If he is unwilling to seek help, he needs to be admitted to a rehabilitation center for at least 6 months. If not, there are centers who will come and pick him up when he is drunk, when his resistance will be ineffective. This will require mom's permission and written consent. After your dad returns from therapy, there will be a lot of follow-ups, both in the house and in his daily activities that must be meticulously adhered to. There is a medicine called Disulfiram, which only the doctor can prescribe, and it is very powerful that even if he attempts to drink a small quantity, he can have serious reactions that may sometimes entail hospitalization. You have to monitor his intake of the medicine and keep a close watch on him. He also has to go for regular counseling for at least three years! Apart from his health, he will also affect the family and all his children will carry genetic factors for alcoholism. If he is into business or working, he will soon not be able to continue and he will go into financial ruin. He will lose all his friends and become ostracized by his society. He will lose his dignity, self-esteem, self-confidence, and become a misfit. He will also lose his sexual capacity, liver function, heart function, kidney etc. Now it is difficult to give up because he has become addicted to alcohol for some time and has a lot to do. The consumption of Antabuse has to be carefully monitored to see that he not only consumes the medication but is also avoiding alcohol. Ultimately, it is his will power and the support that he receives from the medical fraternity and his close and dear ones. He must also learn to substitute and deal with the oral need, a rigid value system, the script issue, and of course take a look at all the genetic factors to plan a strategy not to get into what is called ?cross addictions? i.e. Another form of addiction that may appear alright but is in fact as bad as the primary addiction. The center or hospital and the counselor will advise and guide him on several measures and precautions he will need to take to stay with his resolve. Even after the rehabilitation he must attend AA meetings and continue this support for a long time. The family will also need to attend some sessions and go for Al-anon meetings for their co-dependency issues. He cannot be treated in isolation because the family has gotten used to his drinking and have made some unhealthy adaptations to somehow cope. The children, including you and whoever else is there, will also have to attend meetings to work out their issues because of the father?s habit. In fact, they are all suffering from the Adult Children Of Alcoholics Syndrome (ACOAs), which in effect means that you are genetically predisposed to alcoholism or can have cross addiction problems and that you will have similar traits of the abusing alcoholic but in a milder form. There are special support groups for them all over the world. Should they touch or indulge in alcohol or any addictive substances or behaviors, they could also become full-fledged addicts themselves. Now you should not give up on him but neither should you harass him. Be continuously after him and in the end, you will succeed. His medical condition warrants a very strict course of action.  

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