My son has a beautiful/loving wife, adult son, and a daughter enrolled in college. He had a terrific, well-paying job but lost it when he showed up with alcohol on his breath. He refused to go to re-hab to keep the job, so was placed on paid administrative leave. Now his unemployment benefits have elapsed and yet he continues to drink. He quit drinking a month ago and sounded terrific, then he began taking Ambien to help him sleep. He’s since started back drinking again with the Ambien and has really gone downhill since. My daughter-in-law says he’s acting crazy and she’s very frightened. He is a gun collector and frankly I’m scared that something bad will happen to his family or him. Please tell me what I can do besides telling his family to call 911 if they feel endangered?
What do I do for an alcoholic son in a downward spiral?
Hi @Kelley - how is your son and his family doing today? How are you doing?
I’m sorry you’re going through this situation. It’s so difficult to see our loved ones struggle, especially when everything has been going so well for them on the outside.
You’re already doing one of the most important things: paying attention to the red flags and taking them seriously. The combination of alcohol, Ambien, erratic behavior, and access to firearms is absolutely something to be concerned about. His safety and his family’s safety has to be a priority.
In addition to calling 911, a proactive step you and his family can take is to create a plan should they feel they’re in danger. Does your daughter-in-law have a safe place to go in the case of an emergency? Do you live nearby, or another family member or trusted friend?
Let us know how things are going. You’re not alone.