Married to an Alcoholic? How Long Do You Stay?

In doing so, your partner is less likely to find fault with your reasoning for wanting to find them support. Approaching the conversation with logic and specificity can help them look at their alcohol abuse through a less emotional lens, even though the process alcoholism symptoms can be increasingly emotional. Instead, make sure they know you’re genuinely interested in how they feel from day to day. It also doesn’t hurt to emphasize that you want to learn more so you can better support them on their journey to recovery. While it’s natural to feel upset as you experience the consequences of your partner’s drinking, Nelson encourages cultivating a sense of compassion for any pain they may be dealing with. Your partner’s drinking doesn’t mean they want to hurt you or don’t care about you.

• Things start with a small incident and can lead to bigger uncontrollable incidences that will only bring shame to you and your family.
• You may feel scared, frustrated, and even guilty about your partner’s choices.
• With patience, compassion, and resilience, you can navigate this challenging journey and find hope on the path to recovery.
• These showed that he has been diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Dyslexia; ADHD and also struggles with alcohol abuse.

effects of living with an alcoholic husband

If your husband is an alcoholic, the more you know about the disease, the better prepared you will be to deal with it. It also gives you a sense of control and confidence when you are working with your husband or partner on recovery. Try not to enable your alcoholic spouse by excusing their behavior or caring for them when hungover. I say this as someone who almost put my husband in this situation. My drinking put a terrible strain on our marriage and it was hurting us both. If your partner is not hearing your pleas and concerns and won’t even consider how their behavior impacts you, the problem is more significant than just their drinking.

• Have options available for how to change drinking habits or stop drinking.
• Today, about 1 in every 8 children grow up in a home where a parent or caregiver abuses drugs or alcohol.
• Regularly attending support groups like Al-Anon can also be beneficial.
• Recognizing the signs that your spouse’s drinking habits have gone too far could save both the marriage and their life.
• Many couples overcome alcohol-related challenges by establishing supportive environments and seeking external help to address both relationship struggles and the addiction itself.

Rules You Shouldn’t Break While Handling Someone’s Addiction

Research suggests satisfaction tends to be higher when drinking habits align, but that doesn’t being married to an alcoholic mean a relationship can’t thrive if only one person drinks. That’s the world of being a codependent in love and married to an alcoholic. The codependent in a relationship with an alcoholic sets boundaries, they nag, they bitch, they complain, with nothing to back up their nagging and complaining. Here is the shocker that I shared with the above client, that she was not able to wrap her head around for four straight weeks of our sessions.

Addictions

• It’s never easy to be with an alcoholic husband, but these things can surely help.
• This is why support groups are so important for people who are trying to overcome their drinking issues.
• So, instead of trying to take control of everything, just wait for them to accept that they have a problem and need help.
• For example, someone might have a problem with drinking but deny it to themselves or their loved ones to avoid admitting they have a drinking problem.

Knowing your partner’s triggers can make it easier for you to support them when they try to avoid specific factors that might prompt a drinking episode. “Addressing AUD as early as possible can help prevent further consequences, like health issues or relationship damages,” she explains. Above all, it can help to recognize that your partner didn’t choose to have AUD. That said, they certainly can choose to get help — and you can support them with starting that recovery process and sticking with it.

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• Thus, you can take actionable steps toward a healthier, more hopeful future.
• Many people who struggle with alcoholism are reluctant to accept treatment on their own.
• Naturally, if your partner is physically violent, the threat to your safety and that of the rest of your family remains high.
• When it comes to dealing with an alcoholic husband in denial, speaking to them about the issue in length seems a better option.

It is natural for your husband or wife to become angry and/or defensive when approached about their alcohol misuse. Suffering from this disease produces a lot of guilt and shame, which often leads partners to dismiss the severity of their addiction. When you approach the conversation with love, understanding, and a deep desire to simply see your partner at their healthiest, productive conversations are much more likely to follow.

Signs You Are Living with an Alcoholic Spouse

We can also guide you in approaching a loved one who needs treatment. These are unhealthy because they ignore the real problem as it gets worse. It is very hard to believe that your spouse is no longer making an active choice to drink. However, when someone is an alcoholic, the choice to drink is no longer within their control, at least to some extent.