[True2marie]

One of my friends is a serious alcoholic. I didn't know this when I first met her. She went to rehab just before Christmas and 'dried out'. Then, she said she wasn't going to drink again. A week and 1/2 later, she was drinking like a fish again.

I am really sick of her behavior. When she drinks, she either gets reckless or cries about everything.

I don't know what to do except for to encourage her to go back to rehab although I don't know if it'll even help. She's been an alcoholic for more than 10 years and in and out of rehab during this period.

[rosa]

Is the rehab even getting to the meat of the matter? I think your friend has an underlined issue that she is not letting go of or no one has been able to solve for her so far. Keep on encouaraging her though, you could be the source that keeps her going and don't even know it: )). Then again she probably needs devine intervention, see how that goes.

[Wonder]

Send her to AA and make sure you are there to support here pretty much all the time. You can't do much about it until she is ready to make the change.

[LindaKay]

Addiction can be such a sad thing. I wish you the best of luck. All you can really do is point her in the right direction for treatment -- you can't force her to change.

[htr693]

As was said above, you can't force her to change.

I think she may have some other issues which need dealing with in order to stop the alcoholism. Many times we drink to cover some other underlying issues that we are going to be faced with. Perhaps it would be good to suggest to your friend that she see a therapist, or seek other alternative ways of rehabilitating herself. There are many options out there.

Ultimately though, remember that you are your first priority, and there's only so much you can do. If she doesn't want to change, she will not do so.

[LindaKay]

That is true. You can't let her bring you down. You can try to be supportive, though.