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Alcohol codependency occurs when a person becomes reliant on someone and their alcohol misuse hinges on their partner’s behaviors. A partner of someone addicted to alcohol may believe they’re helping the other person by enabling the addiction to continue. In reality, they’re doing it for themselves while encouraging an unhealthy dynamic.
- Self-care can get thrown out the window in relationships with alcohol addiction.
- Alcohol abuse affects the body and the mind, and the person suffering is often the last to realize the extent of the damage being done.
- So, if you have a problem with drinking or drug use, it is worth it to enter treatment, not only for you, but also for your partner, children, friends, and others.
Sometimes, drinking problems can lead to harmful and abusive behavior, and you may wish to leave the relationship. Remember, there is never any reason to tolerate physical, emotional, or verbal abuse. The Domestic Violence Hotline provides support to survivors of domestic violence so they can live lives free from abuse.
You’re Dishonest About Your Drinking
College students who binge drink may have lower grades, and these lower grades can have a ripple effect throughout their employment prospects and salary potential. Employees who binge drink or engage in heavy drinking are more likely to be absent from work than employees who don’t binge drink. Those who drink excessively may need to quit their jobs earlier than they had originally planned as a consequence of drinking’s long-term effects. Many struggling with substance abuse spend significant amounts of money on getting the addictive substances they feel they need to feel better.
After all, partners and families are part of the journey and deserve help returning to normalcy. Most of the issues these women faced were emotional, but it is clear that living with an alcoholic partner also impacts social health, physical well-being, relationships with children, and finances. Other studies and statistics indicate that violence and being harmed is one of the biggest problems that spouses and partners face. Most people mistake battling a substance use disorder (SUD) as a personal experience.
Seek professional help.
While alcohol can negatively impact your relationship, it’s important to remember that we are not our drinking habits. With time and support, relationships can heal and grow authentically without alcohol. Often people will notice that they are fighting more with their partner when either or both of the individuals have developed an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Also, if you’re fighting when you are drinking, you may say or do things that you will regret or that you would not do if you were sober. Changing
Consequences of Drinking
It is common for family members to try to protect the drinker from the naturally
occurring negative consequences of drinking.
Research has shown that excessive alcohol use can lead to serious family consequences, including intimate partner violence and even divorce. Wait until they are sober and make sure there is plenty of time to talk, and there is quiet and privacy. Be honest but emphasize concern for the individual’s health and well-being rather than listing personal complaints. The effect of alcoholism on relationships and intimacy is widespread and touches on many different areas of intimate affairs.
How Does Alcohol Affect Relationships?
This is especially true when suffering from stress, depression, anxiety, or another mental health disorder. Some 29% of the U.S. population regularly binge drinks (drinking heavy amounts of alcohol over the weekend), and approximately 7% admit to regular heavy drinking. Earlier research3 linked heavy drinking to reduced marital satisfaction, and more specifically, the stress related to alcohol misuse created problems within marriages. What can be concluded from the available statistics on alcohol and relationships is that alcohol addiction takes its toll on intimate relationships, increasing the risk of breakup and divorce. You can recognize symptoms of substance use disorder by being informed of how alcoholism impacts relationships.
Any movement toward change should be considered a positive
outcome of the brief intervention. Although total abstinence from alcohol
is always a safe, desirable outcome, reductions in drinking can lead to improved
health and social functioning. Reductions in drinking also may serve as a
way station to abstinence, whereby the drinker attempts to cut down, and ultimately
decides that abstinence is either an easier choice or a necessary one. Although
some drinkers may ask for specific advice and information about available
treatments, many may respond by stating that they accept the need for change
but want to try to change on their own.
Alcohol Use and Intimate Partner Violence
Changes in your personality can cause you to interact differently with the people around you — and not always for the better. Relationships thrive when you can effectively communicate with each other, but it can be hard to do that when you’ve been drinking. Keeping a distance will also prevent your loved one from influencing you to allow the addiction to continue or crossing boundaries.
It can also include frequent arguing, where someone yells or gets angry over any little thing. If you feel like you are struggling to sober house cope, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. A therapist or counselor can provide guidance on how to best deal with the situation.
That is likely to mean that drinking and drug use will need to stop and the problems in the relationship will need to be identified and addressed. If you or your partner are showing signs of having a problem with drugs or alcohol and there are problems in the relationship, it is common to hope these things will take care of themselves over time. The better thing to do is to get treatment as soon as possible, or at least call and ask about treatments that may be available to you. An alcohol rehab program can help you or your partner if you are living with an alcohol addiction.
