Addiction Treatment Programs
Safe, Effective, Customized Care
Get the Help You Need
We have beds available!
Most of your energy has probably gone toward helping your spouse manage their symptoms or to try to get them into detox or rehab. But it’s likely that you haven’t thought much about yourself other than to ask, “What can I do?” There are ways to help your spouse while also helping yourself so that you both can be healthy and happy.
In 2019, 14.5 million people in the United States ages 12 and older (5.3 percent of this age group) had an alcohol use disorder (AUD), including 9 million men (6.8 percent of men in this age group) and 5.5 million women (3.9 percent of women in this age group). According to a 2017 report, approximately 10.5 percent (7.5 million) of U.S. children ages 17 and younger live with a parent with AUD.
When coping with your spouse’s AUD seems impossible, remember that you’re far from the only one, that there are millions of other men and women in the same position. Some may be struggling, but others have found ways to cope and live happily together — and so can you.
There are many factors that go into developing an AUD, including:
If your spouse is related to someone with an AUD, that could be contributing to their problems with alcohol. Studies have shown that differences in 51 different chromosomal regions can lead to an AUD later in life or increase the risk of developing one.
Situations like difficulties at work, unemployment/underemployment, loss of a friend or family member, etc. can initially lead someone to drink. Once they begin to associate drinking with stress relief, long-term drinking could set in, causing norepinephrine (a chemical that increases feelings of anxiety, raises blood pressure, and heart rate) levels to spike in the brain. Thus alcohol becomes a necessary stress-reliever.
Studies have shown that almost half of people who began drinking before age 14 went on to develop an AUD by 21. Only 9% of people who began to drink after 21 did.
Depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are all common in people with AUDs.
If your spouse fits any of these criteria, that may help you to understand why an alcohol use disorder is affecting your family.
Alcohol abuse is much more common in men than in women, and it affects them in different ways. Being able to drink a lot is seen as a sign of masculinity in much of the world. It also brings out different characteristics, such as dangerous driving, violence against both men and women, and giving them an excuse to ‘defend their honor’ if such an occasion presents itself.
On the other hand, women are more vulnerable to addiction than men, and they become addicted more quickly. When they enter treatment, their addictions are generally more severe, and they have more medical and psychiatric symptoms than men do. They have also suffered more social consequences as a result of their AUD.
Whether your spouse is male or female will help you to understand the specific dangers and co-occurrences of their AUD.
Many people with AUDs will have difficulty admitting they have a problem. This is normal. Substance use disorders (SUDs) have such stigma in today’s society and people with SUDs want to believe they’re in control of their life. Admitting to an AUD would upend the mythology they’ve created for themselves.
This mentality is especially common with ‘high-functioning alcoholics.’ Because they don’t hit the same sort of ‘bottom’ that others with AUDs have (losing their jobs, place to live, financial security, etc.), your spouse may not be able to see that they’re in a downward spiral.
Denial can also be something you deal with, too. Thinking that your husband or wife doesn’t have a problem because they go to work every day, or that they’re drinking because of external circumstances that will soon pass (despite constant drinking) is a way of refusing to deal with the real situation. Being patient with yourself and open-minded to the symptoms of an AUD can help you face the truth.
In short, denial is likely to occur on both sides of your marriage. It’s normal and the more you can plan for it, the better.
Even if you know or suspect that your husband or wife has a problem with alcohol, it’s important to know the scope of the problem itself. Look at the list of AUD symptoms at the beginning of this article and determine how many of them your partner has so you can get an idea of the severity of the problem.
It’s also possible that your spouse may be a ‘high-functioning alcoholic,’ or someone with an AUD who can still excel at work, provide for their family, and that their drinking only affects themselves in superficial ways (hangovers, etc.). Since they seem to be put together from an outside perspective, it can be difficult for them (or you!) to see they have a problem. Try to be impartial when looking at the symptoms of AUDs if your spouse seems to fit this profile.
When you’re married to someone with an AUD, your relationship will often come second to their relationship with alcohol. Emotional connections can be difficult because communication about your spouse’s alcohol is either implicitly or explicitly not allowed. AUDs could lead your partner to lie or fight with you about their use, and your sex life could also suffer.
Once you realize that your spouse has a problem with alcohol, you will probably try to cover for their behavior or make excuses to others if your partner’s level of drinking is noticed. This can cause you to isolate yourself from friends and family, so they don’t notice your troubles.
There are usually financial problems as drinking increases, either from spending excessive amounts on alcohol or on making reckless purchases while under the influence.
Codependency, or unhealthily sacrificing your own needs in order to react and tend to someone with a substance use disorder in the hope of receiving positive validation, is also common in households where AUDs are present. You are probably suffering a great deal of mental stress and are using healthcare services more often.
Perhaps all of these exist in your home, or maybe there are only a few. Either way, there is likely to be a point where confronting your spouse becomes necessary.
When you decide it’s time to talk to your spouse about their drinking problem, there are a few things to keep in mind:
This will only impede your ability to communicate and can result in frustration instead of understanding. On the other hand, if your husband or wife is hungover, remorseful, etc., it might be a good time to talk about the negative consequences of their drinking.
Remember that an alcohol use disorder is a disease, not a character flaw in your partner.
For instance, you might want to address facts about what particular episodes resulted in without saying what they should do instead or try to self-diagnose your partner.
It may take a while for them to process or accept their disease. They may become defensive or angry. If this happens, remember that anger comes after denial in the stages of acceptance and give them the physical or emotional space to process this new emotion.
This may be yet another conversation about their drinking, or it may be the first time you’ve talked openly about it. Either way, your spouse will probably feel apprehensive about it.
If you don’t feel like you can come to your spouse with this mindset, you think someone else in their life could do it better or that your spouse may be open to listening to someone else, that’s okay. The important thing is that your partner has a productive conversation about their AUD with someone who cares about them.
In a study by The Recovery Village involving 2,000 respondents, those who chose support groups for their alcohol use had a higher than average reliance on friends and family members (45%) when it came to seeking help.
If your husband or wife is open to getting help, their first step is to go to a therapist or doctor who can best diagnose them and recommend a course of treatment. There are also many types of meetings your partner can attend (Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, or Women for Sobriety). Some even have ‘open’ meetings that you can attend with them.
Attending hospital follow-up sessions and self-help meetings have been shown to increase the outcome of a spouse’s recovery significantly, so your support makes a big difference in helping them succeed.
In the course of all this change and partner-centered care, you have to remember to take care of yourself, too. When using, people with AUDs often forget how important their relationships with others are. You have probably felt this lack in your own life. Your partner’s treatment will focus on improving their relationship with you, but there are things you can do to help yourself:
Being married to and living with someone with an AUD is assuredly taxing. There may come a time when the costs outweigh the benefits. For instance, if:
The choice to leave any marriage is difficult, and only you can decide if staying or leaving is right for you. But consider your wellbeing when making that decision, in spite of any internal or external pressures you may feel.
If your spouse enters treatment, prepare yourself for the idea that life will not go back to normal right away for either of you. Even if you choose to leave your marriage, recovery is a process that takes time. However, there are resources and methods to help both of you deal with the alcohol use disorder that has affected your marriage, all of which will lead you to a happier, healthier life.
Spouses can play a vital role in recovery from an alcohol use disorder. Part of that role may include helping your spouse or partner find the treatment they need. Contact us to learn about our treatment options. We have a proven track record of providing successful addiction treatment at our facility in Palmer Lake, Colorado. Our knowledgeable staff can help advise on the best course of action for your spouse based on their unique situation.
Because alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous – and even kill you – make sure you have medical advice from your doctor or a rehab facility when you decide to stop drinking.
There are many misconceptions about alcoholism that make it sound like an alcoholic is an easy person to spot, however, many alcoholics function effectively and lead relatively normal lives.
An alcohol abuse problem can include binge drinking, having negative consequences such as hangovers with your drinking but continuing anyway, and drinking despite the desire to stop.
In a recent study by The Recovery Village, 44% of respondents reported abusing alcohol in an attempt to ease uncomfortable feelings that stem from underlying anxiety.
Drinking more than three drinks in a single sitting will temporarily cause your blood pressure to rise, but extended binge drinking or regular alcohol consumption can cause a permanent increase in blood pressure.
NIAAA. “Alcohol Facts and Statistics.” National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, June 2021. Accessed July 23, 2021.
The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.
We can help answer your questions and talk through any concerns.