Taking efforts to repair any rifts or deficiencies in the area of communication will go a long way to helping your spouse be receptive to treatment. It’s easier said than done, considering that they are often the primary cause of the communication breakdown, to begin with. If you notice that your spouse is drinking heavily and being deceptive about it, stage an intervention with people you and your spouse trust and feel safe with.
Is It Possible to Save a Marriage with an Alcoholic?
To learn more about how to get help for your loved one,contact ustoday to discuss our treatment programs. It is realistic, however, to realize you may reach a breaking point in your marriage to a high-functioning alcoholic. You are not responsible for your partner’s drinking problem, but you are responsible for making sure your behavior isn’t contributing to it. And of course, if there is any violence or domestic abuse in the home, leave immediately and go to a shelter or other safe place. When faced with the challenges of living with a functional alcoholic spouse, we suggest seeking professional guidance.
Explore Treatment Options Together
- Once you have the thought, “My husband is a functioning alcoholic,” it’s important to realize you cannot change someone else no matter how much you love them.
- At this point, it may be advantageous for you to consider a residential treatment program.
- As ironic as it sounds, a functioning alcoholic builds such a strong dependence on alcohol, that when they start sobering up, their body begins the withdrawal process.
- Living with a high-functioning alcoholic can be quite unpredictable and emotionally taxing.
When sharing your life with a high-functioning alcoholic, it’s crucial to recognize the impact it can have on your own mental and physical health. The concern for their well-being, the strain of their behaviors, and the uncertainty of their actions can take a toll. The participants in an intervention could include the alcoholic’s spouse or partner, children, parents, friends, coworkers, employer, friends and other individuals who have been affected.
Why high-functioning alcoholism can be extremely dangerous
Alcoholism can take a devastating toll on a person’s physical health, emotional well-being, personal relationships and professional life. However, many alcoholics manage to function effectively, holding down jobs and maintaining households. A high-functioning alcoholic may hide their alcohol abuse for years without suffering any major losses. Under the surface, this form of alcoholism can cause severe psychological and emotional damage to the alcoholic and also their loved ones.. A functioning alcoholic might think they’re fine, but the truth is they’re using alcohol to cope with trauma or mental health issues. Sooner or later, functioning turns into non-functioning, so it’s important to seek residential addiction treatment before they’ve what is alcoholism hit rock bottom.
Some alcohol users feel admitting there is a problem is what a family needs to hear and is enough for them to back off for a while. Families can get stuck in a holding pattern or waiting game while waiting for the day they address the admitted problem. Relationships are complex and layered, and it takes a lot for a husband or a wife to make it work and keep the family structure healthy and whole. You should never be in a position where you (or your family) feel unsafe or threatened by your spouse. If things have gone too far, this list at WomensHealth.gov will help you find domestic violence resources by state. “Love yourself more than you love him,” they say, as though the phrase alone https://ecosoberhouse.com/ is enough to empower you.
When you read through the questions of these assessment instruments, you will see how interested they are in determining behavior as well as the effects of consumption. If their behaviors are leaning towards a problem, then it is most likely these behaviors are affecting you and the family’s quality of life. Due to how acceptable social and recreational drinking is, excessive alcohol use may be difficult to identify.
- The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V) has 11 questions to help determine the severity of an alcohol use disorder.
- They envision someone who can’t get their drinking under control even though their family is falling into chaos.
- As with any other form of AUD, the results of this kind of addiction will eventually lead to dire consequences.
- Nearly20% of alcoholics are highly functionaland well-educated with good incomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
They also manage to be generally competent in all or most aspects of their lives, therefore avoiding the stereotypical image of alcoholism. This makes it very hard, even for someone who is married to a functioning alcoholic, to recognise there is a problem. If you or your spouse is struggling with alcohol abuse and want addiction recovery help, please call WhiteSands Alcohol and Drug Rehab. Our substance abuse specialists can help guide you on the best alcohol use disorder treatment and levels of care for you or your loved one.
Dealing with an alcoholic partner and coping with their alcoholic behaviours and tendencies can have a massive impact on a person’s life. Within this blog, we explore the dos and don’ts of living with someone addicted to alcohol. We’ve also put together the dos and don’ts of talking to the person about their drinking, which you can use if and when you’re ready to have this conversation. Approaching a functional alcoholic can be nerve-wracking for both parties. That’s why it’s best to have a plan in place for how you intend the conversation to progress, and how you want your loved one to perceive your intentions. Instead, it’s best to tread lightly and to be prepared to make multiple attempts to help.
Stage 2: Improved Alcohol Tolerance
This is why focusing on behaviors provides much better insight than trying to watch for excessive consumption. Even binge drinking or alcohol warning signs may be missed or be perceived as moderate or tolerable. An alcoholic is unlikely to admit they have a dependency or issues resulting from it. They may go far out of their way to hide behaviors or avoid conversations. Over time this can teach those connected to the alcohol user not to ask as they will get no answer. Admitting a problem is the first step to changing it, and positive recognition from a functional alcoholic when they do is a huge first step.
Toavoid enabling an alcoholic spouse, you may have to leave the home you share, which can seem like too brash of a decision. However, it sometimes takes a harsh reality to make an alcoholic see a situation for what it is. An addiction interventionist can help a family identify things they are doing that may be holding the alcoholic in a precontemplation state. A professional addiction intervention can help the alcohol user take ownership of some of the problems they have been blaming others for. If parents and family members assist along with the roommates, this can provide a wider range of awareness to the functional alcoholic husband alcoholic.
