Sometimes, stepping away—whether temporarily or permanently—may be the wake-up call your loved one needs to truly recognize the severity of their addiction. At Ava Recovery, we provide detox and residential inpatient care for clients who are struggling with alcoholism. There are numerous alcohol treatment options for your loved one struggling with alcohol or drug abuse. Your doctors will help you take care of yourself and focus on your well-being and self-care. As the drinking problem persists, your spouse may become more violent or engage in risky behavior.
- Make sure your children are eating a healthy diet and getting adequate exercise and sleep.
- It may also lead to a lack of individual social life as leaving your partner alone at home can cause more stress and anxiety than it’s worth to attend an event.
- But with the right approach and support, you can navigate this journey.
- Knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions and respond appropriately to the situation.
Treatments
This can be a powerful way to encourage your loved one to seek treatment and acknowledge the impact of their addiction on themselves and those around them. Reach out to friends, family, or support groups who can offer understanding, empathy, and guidance. You don’t have to face this alone, and a supportive network can provide emotional strength.
Be Supportive, Not Enabling
Outpatient therapy involves regular meetings with a counselor or group, focusing on relapse prevention, lifestyle changes, and ongoing support for recovery. After finishing a more intensive program, outpatient treatment is often essential to maintain progress. Continuing care could include sober living homes, group therapy sessions, and periodic check-ins with a treatment professional. Over time, unresolved addiction issues can strain the bond you share with your spouse. Trust may erode, and some spouses report feeling more like a caretaker or enabler rather than an equal partner.
What is the Treatment Process for Alcoholism
- Making sure you‘re healthy and safe can make you a better support system for your loved one with AUD, however you chose to be there for them.
- The effects of living with an alcoholic spouse can be severely disruptive and emotionally traumatic, but with the right type of care, your spouse and you can work together to rebuild.
You can make a difference by being a supportive partner and helping them seek treatment. If you are a teenager or adolescent living with an alcoholic parent, you can confide in your friend’s parents or family members. If you are a spouse living with an alcoholic partner, you may rely on close friends, your therapist, family members, neighbors, or someone you met in a support group. You want to be able to trust this support system and be honest and upfront about your living situation and what you are experiencing. Children or adolescents living with an alcoholic parent have a higher risk of being abused and developing an addiction themselves. Living with an alcoholic parent can be scary, so it is important to take necessary steps and precautions to safeguard your mental health and safety.
- As with all substance abuse and addiction issues, the signs of alcoholism vary from person to person.
- You could arrange with family members, close friends, colleagues, or a professional intervention specialist to confront them in a non-coercive way.
- Sometimes, taking a step back or holding firm to boundaries can be a catalyst for change.
- It is crucial to address and deal with the issue of drinking and to offer help but also to know when it is time to remove oneself from the situation for self-preservation.
- Consciously or unconsciously, the codependent may help the alcoholic to continue drinking to maintain the status quo.
- Manipulation is another form of emotional abuse that’s common in these relationships.
There’s another kind of hurt that’s less visible but how to live with an alcoholic wife just as real – emotional abuse. Additionally, watching the person you love deteriorate and become a person unlike themselves is draining. If you’re experiencing anxiety, depression, insomnia, or even suicidal thoughts, it’s time to leave.
One of the most critical steps in dealing with an alcoholic partner is to understand the nature of alcohol addiction. Living with an alcoholic spouse is challenging, and it can feel hopeless on some days. But you can help your partner see reasons to get help with the right approach. There are many options for getting help for alcoholics, and the quicker you act, the faster you can return your home to normal. Counseling sessions may also involve one’s spouse or other family members. A robust support system increases an alcoholic’s chances of getting and remaining sober.
Living with a Partner with an Alcohol Addiction
If you have children, it’s important to protect them from unacceptable behavior as well. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau alcohol rehab was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
