It is difficult to get an alcoholic into treatment, because making threats to them won’t help due to their self-destructiveness. If someone you know has the realization that he or she must get help, you can offer them assistance to get into treatment programs. If you suggest programs before the person is ready, this could have the opposite effect. The person you know must want to get help.

The first step to recovery is for the person to stop drinking. You can help by supporting them through this process. Medical doctors will usually prescribe another medication to an alcoholic while they quit drinking, so that they do not have serious withdrawal symptoms. By being supportive during this process, you can help the person you know get to the next step which is behavioral and psychological counseling. The alcoholic will need to address all of the factors that caused the drinking in the first place. Without psychological and behavioral counseling, an alcoholic will easily relapse. — edubook.com