It’s important to view the situation through a compassionate lens rather than one of frustration. Just know couples therapy will likely only have benefit if they’re willing to do some self-work at the same time, either through individual therapy or an AUD treatment program. Having a partner with AUD can take a toll on your well-being, which makes it essential to take care of your personal needs — physical and emotional.

If your alcoholic spouse is interested in getting professional help, encourage this to happen quickly

All leaving an alcoholic of these common experiences might leave you feeling a greater sense of instability for yourself and your children. Whether they’re a partner, parent, or friend, living with someone with active alcohol use can create turmoil in your life. The impact on your health and how you view the world can be long lasting. If you live with someone with alcohol use disorder, you know addiction doesn’t just impact one person.

Codependency and Addiction

Alcohol use disorder is categorized by drinking that is harmful to a person and can range from mild to severe. But what happens when you or a loved one is not able to stop drinking? Knowing the difference between someone who likes to drink and someone who can’t stop drinking can help you determine what to do. Despite all your support, you still should be prepared if your loved one does have a relapse. It would be best to understand that recovery is a journey and not a sprint. Your loved one might not necessarily recover on the first try.

• Ultimately, someone with alcohol use disorder must accept help if they want to recover.
• These problems may interfere with their professional and social relationships or even their own health.
• At The Recovery Village, we know how challenging it can be to cope with having an alcoholic spouse.
• You’ve attempted almost everything you can think of to help with their drinking problem, from throwing out their collection of drinks to threats of leaving them to bribery.
• It also provides coping skills to prevent relapse and promote a healthy relationship.

Care of Your Family and Yourself

• It can take 10 or more attempts at treatment before someone makes progress on overcoming an addiction.
• Her childhood, marked by parental alcoholism and neglect, left her vulnerable to abuse.

For example, if your loved one passes out in the yard and you carefully help them into the house and into bed, only you feel the pain. The focus then becomes what you did (moved them) rather than what they did (drinking so much that they passed out outside). Often, in trying to “help,” well-meaning loved ones will actually do something that enables someone dependent on alcohol to continue along their destructive paths.

Setting Boundaries vs. Enabling

When your spouse or partner is misusing alcohol, it’s important to see support from others, rather than going it along. The following resources may be helpful for yourself, your family members, and/or the individual struggling with alcohol misuse. However, you can provide information and support to make it a bit easier for your partner to seek out their own recovery. Toavoid enabling an alcoholic spouse, you may have to leave the home you share, which can seem like too brash of a decision.

Key signs of AUD

• Protect your children, and don’t hesitate to keep them away from someone who drinks and does not respect your boundaries.
• If your loved one reacts to you in a threatening way (e.g., screaming), do not engage with them in the same manner.
• The following resources may be helpful for yourself, your family members, and/or the individual struggling with alcohol misuse.
• A support group to build connections with others who are going through similar experiences can be beneficial.
• Recognising the signs of alcohol addiction is the first step in addressing the issue.

Avoid forcing treatment at all costs as they work when a person wants to of on their own accord. Once the time approaches to accost your loved one about their drinking, the time is key. Choose a period where they appear calm and sober, also try to avoid threats at all costs. Stir the discussion to focus on your emotions and state your reservations. State them in a pitch that comes off as compassionate and free of any judgment.

Tolerant Coping

We believe in involving the family in a recovering person’s treatment process, and we can offer the support you need. To learn more about how to get help for your https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/alcohol-withdrawal-symptoms-stages-and-treatment/ loved one,contact ustoday to discuss our treatment programs. Treatment programs at The Recovery Village include a full spectrum of alcohol recovery services, from alcohol detox to rehab, aftercare and sober housing. When you’re ready to seek help, or if you have questions about how to live with an alcoholic, we’re here for you.Contact ustoday to learn more about our treatment options. Alcoholism affects everyone in a household— not just the individual who drinks.