[quote author="Nude" date=1220327515]If someone is an alcoholic, one is too much and a thousand isn't enough. If the person in question is hiding the amount they drink, they are, on some level, aware that they are drinking too much. As a person with 18 years of sobriety, I will tell you that no alcoholic is going to like a confrontation about their drinking. You run the risk of losing them as a friend by simply mentioning it.
Bk, if you feel the need to reach out to this person, I would suggest the least abrasive approach possible. If they are a co-worker or employee, you might slip a pamphlet into a desk drawer. If they are a friend or relative, you might drop something in their mailbox or wait for the topic to come up naturally. In any case, it is important to understand that alcoholism and drug addiction is not purely a physical problem; the mental obsession is what drives the person to consume the substance that provides whatever relief they get from it. In time, the intoxicated state becomes "normal" and they learn to function while intoxicated and maintain a lifestyle that allows them to continue drinking or using drugs. From your description, this seems to be what your friend is doing. You can get more information about A.A. <a href="http://www.oc-aa.org/">here</a>. Stopping by the Central Office will put you in contact with people that can advise you on an approach and provide some literature that you can pass on to your friend if you decide to go that way. There are also several hospital and recovery programs that deal with alcoholism and addiction, but I really can't recommend any because I haven't used them.</blockquote>
Nude, congrats on the 18 years of sobriety. I'm sure that takes a lot of discipline, and I commend you.
