Guide to Living With Alcoholic Spouse

23 Oct Guide to Living With Alcoholic Spouse

These activities and strategies can help reduce stress and improve overall mental health. The presence of alcohol addiction in a family disrupts the normal functioning and dynamics of the household. Roles may shift as family members try to compensate for the alcoholic’s behavior.

What a Family or Friend Should Expect

It’s often a reality that grows more concerning with every downed glass. Studies show that the risk of a situation turning violent is five times higher when alcohol enters the mix. She’s also how to live with an alcoholic currently working on her dissertation, which explores intersections of disability studies and literacy studies. When she’s not researching or writing, Cherney enjoys getting outdoors as much as possible. When living with someone who has AUD, it’s important to understand that you didn’t cause the addiction.

Tips on coping living with an alcoholic:

It’s a serious problem that can lead to social and physical problems. Diagnosing alcoholism can be difficult because it often goes unnoticed by family and friends. The Marriage.com Editorial Team is https://ecosoberhouse.com/ a group of experienced relationship writers, experts, and mental health professionals.

• Ultimately, “high-functioning” is a deceptive descriptor because the condition is still alcoholism — and it is still damaging.
• For instance, children might take on more responsibilities to cover for an alcoholic parent, which can rob them of their childhood.
• Alcoholics tend to wander into trouble because of their addiction.
• One of the most difficult parts of living with an alcoholic is knowing how, and when, to bring up their drinking.
• They might maintain employment, handle many of their day-to-day responsibilities and even thrive in certain social or professional settings.

Understand you cannot control them

It can also make them angry at you, which intensifies their blaming of you. When living with an alcoholic, remember that you can’t stop them. Living with anyone who has an addiction can change everything about your life, and there can be a great deal of frustration and stress involved.

• Friends and family may distance themselves due to uncomfortable situations or repeated disagreements related to alcohol use, leaving the spouse feeling alone and unsupported.
• You can receive treatment in an individual, family, group, or couples setting.
• It’s much harder to avoid enabling behaviors if you feel isolated or emotionally drained.
• When someone else’s addiction becomes the household’s central concern, self-care can fall by the wayside.
• Numerous resources and support systems can help lighten the burden and guide you toward solutions.

Functional alcoholics differ from those who struggle with alcoholism, primarily in how alcohol affects their lives. If you’re the loved one of someone in either group, it’s important to know how to deal with an alcoholic effectively if you want to help them get well. If you or a loved one need help to abstain from alcohol, you’re not alone.

Mental Health Resources

Here’s what you need to know to overcome the challenges of alcohol addiction. There may be very little you can do to help someone with AUD until they are ready to get help, but you can stop letting someone’s drinking problem dominate your thoughts and your life. It’s OK to make choices that are good for your own physical and mental health.

Living with Someone with Alcohol Addiction: How to Support Them — and Yourself

At this point, seeking advice for partners of alcoholics from professionals or support groups can provide the clarity you need to move forward. Understanding addiction is crucial to determining how to deal with an alcoholic partner in a productive way. Remember, the key is to take care of your own health while supporting your loved one. Reach out for help early, whether it’s through therapy, counseling, or family services, to begin the Twelve-step program journey toward healing and recovery. When you’re facing tough decisions, Project Courage is here to walk with you, whatever your next step may be.