Help my dad!!!
Hi, all I am Katlyn from British Columbia. I am happy that I found a place that would help my dad in his situation. My dad is 60+. He was diagnosed with RA three years before and he is under medicines for that. Last year an unexpected thing happened in our life and he is into alcohol addiction. The unexpected thing was the loss of his business and this was because his partner betrayed him. This was something that he couldn't even imagine. He was that close to him and it was all his life earnings and efforts that he invested in his business, so this thing made a huge influence in his life and is totally into alcohol and smoking. It's like an addiction now.Every health check up is making me down to because the RA is still the same and the doc says its due to the alcohol.I am confused. I talked to my boyfriend about this so he was telling to make him attend an addiction treatment at Edgewood ( https://www.edgewood.ca/ ) which is near to our place. I don't know whether this place would take care of a person with RA.Should I make him undergo an addiction treatment or change his RA doc? Is there any ways to take medications for both at a time? Or is there any problem in making him undergo a treatment of this sort, as he is already taking medicines for RA? The convincing part is very difficult. I am not able to do. I have tried doing that. But nothing worked.Suggest me a solution that I should be doing in this situation.
Thanks in advance.
Hi Katlyn, I am so sorry you are in this situation. I would call the rehab center you are looking at and talk to someone on staff. Most places are happy to answer questions like yours. Some treatment centers in the U.S. do take people with various health issues (like heart conditions), but I am unsure what standard operating procedures might be in Canada.
As far as the addiction part, well, I understand where you are coming from. I have had more than one parent struggle with drug and alcohol addiction (AND smoking) and it can be a heartbreaking thing to watch. Unfortunately, the ugly truth is that you cannot make him go to rehab. And interventions tend to be moderately successful at best. I don't want you to not have any hope, but I tell you this to help you drop any guilt you might feel about your father's addiction. It's hard to watch someone destroy themselves with addictions.
I suggest you call that facility and see if they can give you any answers. They are trained specialists and can maybe give you some additional tips or insight.
But, believe me, I get how hard this is for you, Katlyn. It's frustrating that we can't make our loved ones want to take care of themselves.
I sincerely wish you the best of luck as you figure out how best to help your Dad. Thank you for sharing here. Your Dad is lucky to have a daughter that cares so much. Best, Erin, RheumatoidArthritis.net Team Member.
