Living With an Alcoholic Spouse? Here Are Four Options To Consider

July 13th, 2023

You need to know that your experience with an alcoholic spouse is traumatic and damaging to you and your children. But even if they’re not, the impact of chronic stress on your health can’t be understated. If you’re a parent, it’s important to give your children the best version of yourself. One of the most common problems is a breakdown in communication.

Taking Steps Towards Recovery

I’m struggling with a partner who has displayed and admitted to alcoholic tendencies. I’m wary of saying “he is an alcoholic” because I don’t feel equipped to make that diagnosis. But I know our toughest moments and arguments have occurred when he’s been drinking to the point of drunkenness, which happens frequently. In this section, we’ll provide strategies for managing joint bank accounts and credit cards during a divorce.

What if my spouse refuses to seek treatment for their alcohol addiction?

When you’re divorcing an alcoholic spouse, it’s important to understand the financial impact of their addiction. This is especially true if you’re concerned about protecting your financial assets during the divorce process. By understanding how alcoholism has impacted https://ecosoberhouse.com/ your family’s finances, you can take steps to protect yourself and your future. In fact, functional alcoholics are often people who seem to ‘have it all; they maintain a busy social life, work hard at their careers and are often well-liked by their neighbors.

Is Proving Alcohol Abuse in Custody Proceedings important?

However, sometimes the actions you take out of love may be enabling your partner to drink. For instance, if you drive them everywhere so they don’t get a DUI, bail them out of jail, or pay for their alcohol-related damages, you are, in effect, supporting their addiction. Instead, you need to set boundaries for yourself and your relationship. While the alcoholic needs to take responsibility for their own behavior, a critical part of their recovery journey is having people around them who respect their need to abstain from alcohol altogether. Although alcohol is readily available anywhere, if you are dating an alcoholic, not drinking in their presence is a simple yet powerful thing you can do to support their sobriety. Keep in mind that even if you have the best of intentions, there’s a good chance your alcoholic partner might not be receptive to your offers of help.

• Therapists can also provide guidance on setting boundaries and developing self-care practices.
• You may feel overwhelmed, not just by the emotional toll of your situation, but by the difficulties present when a loved one is facing alcohol use disorder or other substance abuse issues.
• If you live with an alcoholic partner or spouse who takes part in excessive alcohol consumption, you may notice effects on your relationship and a change in your significant other over time.
• But the reality for a lot of women is an alcoholic spouse with a chronic illness who never seeks sobriety.
• If your partner is not interested in getting help or making changes, it’s unlikely that they will be able to overcome their addiction.

How Can an Attorney Help Me When Divorcing a Partner Who is an Alcoholic?

Your partner’s drinking can impact you and your children’s lives depending on the severity of alcoholism. Having an alcoholic spouse is not a situation you will be forced to go through alone. Some people have gone through leaving an alcoholic and are going through the same situation, and they can offer insight, advice and understanding. To avoid enabling an alcoholic spouse, you may have to leave the home you share, which can seem like too brash of a decision.

• You may still want to help your loved one when they are in the middle of a crisis.
• Express your concern for their well-being and the impact their alcoholism has on your relationship and family.
• Alcohol addiction treatment can be effective at any stage of readiness.
• Alcoholism can have a significant impact on finances, which can make it difficult to determine how to divide assets and debts fairly.
• If you choose to continue drinking while your partner is in recovery, it could trigger cravings or make them feel tempted to drink again.

But if you do some financial planning, it can help you to protect yourself and your property. If your spouse has access to your online banking accounts, it’s time to change the passwords. This will give you some protection if they try to take out loans or run up debt in your name. If you are even thinking of divorcing an alcoholic, you may wonder how alcoholism will affect your divorce.

Again, getting up and leaving someone you love, alcoholic or not, can be a tough task. However, if you are experiencing emotional, financial, or health issues because of the relationship, it may be time to re-evaluate your situation. Alateen is similar to Al-Anon but it’s for children of alcoholics. It gives kids an opportunity to spend time with their peers and discuss their alcoholic parent with people their own age who understand and can relate to the situation. Typically, when a person comes to us with an alcohol addiction, they will go through an addiction treatment programme. This includes a free addiction assessment, medically-assisted alcohol detox and a residential treatment programme made up of intensive therapy and 12 months of free aftercare.

• It is a complex condition that affects both the physical and mental health of the person struggling with addiction.
• AUDs can run in families, so it’s possible your spouse had an alcoholic parent which may be discussed in therapy.
• Living with an alcoholic is traumatic, especially if there is serious abuse.
• People who are abusive don’t become that way because of drugs and alcohol.
• If (or when) they do, you’ll want to know what options are out there for the treatment of AUDs and what to look for in a treatment provider.

They Don’t Want To Get Better

Remember that no matter how much you care or want your partner to get help, they need to make that choice for themselves. Alcohol or substance use is one of the most common reasons people divorce. If you’re feeling angry or fed up, consider waiting for another time to have this conversation.

The Risks and Side Effects of Cocaine Addiction

• It’s good to talk about how your spouse’s alcoholism is affecting you, and your marriage, but make sure you choose your words carefully.
• If your spouse refuses to seek treatment for their alcohol addiction, it’s important to prioritize your own well-being and safety.
• It’s important to take steps to protect your assets during this process, so that you don’t end up with an unfair settlement that leaves you in a precarious financial situation.
• According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, binge drinking refers to having five or more drinks (for men) and four or more drinks (for women) in a 2-hour span.

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