Alcoholism can be tremendously hard for those living with an alcoholic. Those with an alcoholic parent or spouse know the painful experience of constantly worrying that their loved one will drive while drunk, sell personal possessions in order to satisfy their addiction or go on a drinking spree and disappear for days.

For many living with an alcoholic means constantly worrying about paying the bills, having to clean up after their alcoholic loved one, looking out for various signs of alcoholism, dealing with abuse, and even being unable to sleep from fear of what will happen next.

Instead of enabling or becoming resigned to the situation you have to fight back! Follow these top 5 tips to change your situation.

1. Take an honest look at the alcoholic: Recognizing the line between social drinking and alcohol abuse is not always easy to identify. Although an individual who only drinks a few glasses during the weekend might not be considered an alcoholic, anyone who drinks to the point that it affects their regular life can be considered to be abusing alcohol.

Talk to the alcoholic parent or spouse. Sit down and ask them why they drink. Discus worrying symptoms that indicate alcoholism such as drinking to the point of blacking out, needing to drink to feel better about their life and feeling ashamed over their drinking habits.

2. Let the alcoholic accept the consequences: To get out of resignation, let the alcoholic accept the negative consequences of drinking and do not step in and accept responsibility for their actions. When living with an alcoholic do not call in for them if they miss work, never purchase alcohol for them, do not help them to bed or cleaning up the empty bottles after they have been drinking. To keep them out of debt and get them to realize how bad the situation has become do not purchase alcohol for them or give them money to buy more.

3. Accept the reality: To transform your life with an alcoholic parent or spouse, you have to accept the situation. Do not live in denial or make excuses for the signs of alcoholism being displayed. You should also not feel guilty or try to threaten or bribe them into giving up alcohol. Instead, deal with your own emotions, because this is the only thing you have power to control.

4. Do not engage: When living with an alcoholic, you are likely to notice that when heavily drinking they may start arguments, throw items around, or become verbally abusive. Do not be sucked into playing mind games or getting into a fight! Show your spouse that you love them, but detach yourself from the situation. If necessary, leave the house for a few hours or go out with some friends. By not accepting the outburst and bad behaviours they will see even faster that they need help.

5. Get Support: The road to recovery will not happen in just a few weeks or months. For a lot of people the process takes years! To get the emotional support needed to recognize and treat the signs of alcoholism therapists, support groups, online forums and even eBook systems can be accessed.

These treatment methods are enormously helpful for both the alcoholic and the individuals living with an alcoholic.