Living With an Alcoholic Spouse: Coping Strategies

Maintaining a positive mindset and a hopeful attitude can be difficult at times when you are dealing with an addiction problem. However, if you are determined to recover from it and stay sober, you can do it as long as you stay strong and focused. A therapist or counselor will be able to help him overcome his addiction and lead a more fulfilling life.

They become a different person when under the influence

According to some studies, husbands are three times more likely to increase their alcohol intake if their wives start drinking heavily. Similarly, a woman is twice likely to increase her alcohol intake if her husband starts drinking heavily. Having an alcoholic spouse makes it more difficult to quit or reduce alcohol intake. If you have an alcoholic spouse, you’ll be quickly exhausted from trying to help if you don’t know exactly how to go about it. While you may not be able to stop them from drinking, you can change yourself and your behavior toward the situation.

How to support your loved one in getting help and getting healthy

The permission was obtained from all concerned authorities in the beginning. The ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Institute. Written informed consent was taken from each study subject, and rapport was developed. The data were collected by conducting the individual interview of each study subject using above-mentioned questionnaires.

When Is it Time to Leave an Alcoholic Husband or Wife?

Its second trick is habit formation, driven by cues and cravings. The basal ganglia, a part of our brain involved in habit formation, strengthens the association between drinking and the context in which it occurs. With enough repetition and strong enough rewarding experiences, alcohol use becomes more and more automatic over time.

The supportive partner may also go through their own emotional process. It’s often very difficult for the partner to let go of the resentment, anger, and fear they’ve felt over the time their partner was using drugs and alcohol. The Marriage.com Editorial Team is a group of experienced relationship writers, experts, and mental health professionals. We provide practical and research-backed advice on relationships. Our content is thoroughly reviewed by experts to ensure that we offer high-quality and reliable relationship advice.

Living With an Alcoholic Spouse? You’ve Got 4 Options.

By engaging in couples therapy and family counseling, families can work together to rebuild trust, strengthen relationships, and create a supportive network to aid the recovery process. 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. A therapist can offer assistance with devising a self-care plan and coach you on setting boundaries that align with your needs.

• Almost one-fourth of the study wives reported using avoidance as coping strategy while another 23% reported that they tried getting on their own things as their coping mechanism.
• When alcohol becomes a daily habit, we find ourselves slipping further down the pit.
• Remember, a good temper is much more likely to have a positive effect on your spouse in the long run.
• There are hundreds of resources all over the country designed to address the issue of alcohol abuse and addiction.
• While it’s natural to want to help someone you care about, playing the role of a fixer can negatively impact multiple aspects of your life.
• If they are willing to get help, you should have suggestions on how to change their drinking habits or get treatment in cases that have become severe.

What if your loved one refuses?

All experts agree that when talking to your loved one, it’s best to be patient and compassionate. But maybe they drinka few glasses of wine each night to help them fall asleep. Or, they get bombed every weekend but don’t skip a Dealing and Living with an Alcoholic Spouse beat at their demanding job. The Doctor Weighs In is a trusted source for quality evidence-based stories about health, healthcare, and innovation. Some couples can thrive immediately after the addicted partner becomes sober.

• By offering your support and understanding, you can create a safe space for them to explore the possibility of recovery.
• It may be worth getting support from a therapist as you attempt to navigate a marriage or committed partnership with someone living with AUD.
• However, you may need an intervention if they keep resisting your efforts.
• You should seek help immediately if your partner’s alcoholism is starting to affect your finances.

If you’re the partner of someone with AUD, you might feel isolated — or tempted to isolate out of embarrassment or shame. Experiencing domestic violence, emotional abuse, or other hurtful actions like infidelity can further push partners to withdraw from family and friends. When your loved one drinks or is experiencing withdrawal symptoms, their mood can become unpredictable. They might be friendly one moment, only to become angry and violent the next. According to the Foundations Recovery Network, up to two-thirds of cases of alcohol-related violence occur in close interpersonal relationships. Not only does alcohol addiction, or alcohol use disorder (AUD), affect those who have it, but it can also have significant effects on their interpersonal relationships and households.

Emotional difficulties

Dietary Guidelines define moderate drinking as one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. Binge drinking is defined as having four or more beverages in one drinking episode for women and five or more beverages for men (a typical drinking episode is around two hours). In short, they might not feel ready to seek support until they begin to recognize the ways drinking affects their daily life and relationships.