My Partner is an Alcoholic: How to Cope with an Alcoholic Partner

If you love someone with leaving an alcoholic an alcohol use disorder, there will be good days, hard days, and ’not sure I can keep dealing with this‘ days. While love alone can’t fix the problem, there are things you can do to support your loved one while protecting your own well-being. Do free yourself from blame, know when to step back, and understand that they need outside help. Don’t take things personally, accept the unacceptable, or enable their behavior.

Identifying Relapse Triggers

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. Your safety is Substance abuse more valuable than your loved one’s recovery. Whichever you decide, you can still seek support and therapy after you walk away. When you live with an alcoholic, it can be very easy to fall into judgmental thoughts about why they won’t just stop drinking or why they’re choosing to drink themselves to death.

Expert Tips for How to Live with an Alcoholic

• It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.
• The more you know about it, the better equipped you are to talk to your partner and manage your expectations regarding their addiction.
• Children of alcoholics tend to find many aspects of their lives challenging well into adulthood.
• Showing up for someone struggling with alcoholism is hard, but with the right tools and understanding, it is possible.
• The burden you carry can lead to high levels of stress and steal the happiness you’d usually have for other things in your life.

If she has started drinking more than recommended or is consistently defensive, withdrawn, or volatile when under the influence, it may indicate a deeper issue. A loving, constructive conversation may not solve things immediately, but it can plant the seed for seeking professional help. Understandably, you may struggle with self-blame, believing that somehow you triggered their drinking patterns. You may also feel compelled to control their behavior—by monitoring where they go, how much they drink, or even disposing of their alcohol. Or, in an attempt to keep peace in the household, you might “enable” them by covering up, making excuses, or minimizing the severity of their drinking.

Know when to walk away from the relationships

• Alcoholism affects everyone in a household— not just the individual who drinks.
• When someone gives up alcohol, it’s just one of the changes they make.
• People can have a varied reaction and tolerance to alcohol and that doesn’t necessarily mean they are alcoholics.

The above mentioned scenarios are referred to as triggers—the people, places, situations, and things that can increase an individual’s risk of relapse. The staff is comprised of physicians, nurses, therapists, mental health counselors, psychiatrists, behavioral health technicians and many others. Once a family member agrees that they need treatment for their alcohol use disorder, it may be overwhelming to understand where to start. The level of treatment needed depends on the severity of alcohol use and their willingness to participate. The mascot is the family member who tries to lighten the situation through humor. They may try to prevent moments of discomfort that the person with an alcohol use disorder may cause.

Helping Someone with a Drinking Problem

If the alcoholic is a parent, the effects of the situation will be lasting. There are many options available to help people who care about alcoholics. Groups like Al-Anon offer peer support and access to other resources. Find at least one option that feels comfortable for you and gives you someone to turn to when you are struggling with your situation. Loving someone with alcohol use disorder (AUD) often feels like walking a tightrope. It can be difficult to know what to do to minimize conflict and stress, support your loved one, and tend to your own needs at the same time.

• Before you realise it, you can find yourself in a full-blown abusive relationship.
• Unfortunately, this usually results in leaving the alcoholic’s family members feeling lonely and frustrated.
• American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information.
• A lot of emotions — frustration, sadness, bitterness and more — may whirl through your mind.

They’re similar to other 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). =https://ecosoberhouse.com/ It provides a community where you can share your experiences and learn from other recovering couples. You and your partner must be equally committed to rehab if you want to stay together.

• Talking to your loved one, who engages in unhealthy or hazardous drinking can be extremely effective and constructive if done tactfully, with compassion, and with the proper tools.
• There may also be new legal issues arising for them, like driving under the influence or making other poor decisions.
• Do free yourself from blame, know when to step back, and understand that they need outside help.
• Calmly redirect the subject so you can de-escalate the situation.
• Wondering if you’ve done or said something wrong, feeling scared and anxious…these feelings are natural if you live with someone suffering from alcohol addiction or alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Living With An Alcoholic Spouse: How to Deal With Partner’s Drinking

Join 40,000+ People Who Receive Our Newsletter Get valuable resources on addiction, recovery, wellness, and our treatments delivered directly to your inbox. If you live with an alcoholic, you don’t have to let it destroy who you are. Remember, it may take more than one well-intentioned conversation.