In one study, for instance, researchers interviewed 30 women who were wives of alcoholics about the issues they faced and the coping mechanisms they used. However, recovery often requires professional treatment and ongoing support. Encourage your spouse to seek help from a qualified healthcare provider or addiction specialist. Family counseling involves the participation of other family members, such as children or close relatives, who may also be affected by the alcoholic spouse’s addiction. This form of therapy aims to foster a supportive and understanding environment for all family members, helping them navigate their own emotions and develop healthier ways of interacting with one another.

Living with Someone Who Has Alcohol Use Disorder

Even if your partner blacked out and doesn’t remember treating you this way, this behavior still counts as abuse. AUD can affect your relationship with your partner in a number of ways. It can also affect other loved ones in and out of your household, including children, siblings, friends, and parents. Maybe you have some concerns about your spouse or long-term partner’s increasing alcohol use but feel unsure about the best way to bring up the changes you’ve noticed or offer them support. According to the World Health Organization, 55 percent of assaults by one partner against another in the U.S. occurred after the perpetrator had been drinking.

Couples therapy and family counseling can be valuable tools in addressing the dynamics and consequences of living with an alcoholic spouse. Living with an alcoholic spouse can be an incredibly challenging and emotionally draining experience. To maintain your well-being and protect yourself from the negative effects of their addiction, it is important to establish boundaries and prioritize your own self-care. AUD is a chronic (long-term) but treatable condition with available treatment options. Regardless of where the person with AUD is in their recovery or addiction, it’s important for loved ones to blood alcohol content (bac) depends on consider getting support for themselves. One of the mistakes many people make is enabling their alcoholic spouses or trying to prevent consequences from occurring.

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. 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. Reach out today at and talk to one of our compassionate and knowledgeable admissions navigators.

1. Living with an alcoholic spouse is a difficult and emotionally charged situation.
2. There are also many types of meetings your partner can attend (Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, or Women for Sobriety).
3. They’re also at a higher risk for other challenges, including difficulties forming close relationships, lying, and self-judgment.
4. Therapists can also provide guidance on setting boundaries and developing self-care practices.

Alcohol Rehab Treatment Options

Al-Anon is the most popular support program available to loved ones of alcoholics. It is a program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous and provides peer support to adults. People participating in Al-Anon understand the challenges and devastation of living and loving someone with a problem with alcohol. There are many options available to help people who care about alcoholics. Groups like Al-Anon offer peer support and access to other resources. Find at least one option that feels comfortable for you and gives you someone to turn to when you are struggling with your situation.

Impacts of Living with an Alcoholic Spouse

Instead, choose “I” statements to convey how you feel, such as, “I’m having a difficult time sleeping at night because of the late nights you’re keeping.” Be gentle, but be firm in your statements. The idea of talking to your alcoholic partner about their drinking can be daunting. We’ve put together advice so you can go into the conversation with confidence, and make sure that it’s as effective as possible. Once a family member agrees that they need treatment for their alcohol use disorder, it may be overwhelming to understand where to start.

Discover how medical supervision aids a safe and effective recovery process. Supporting relapse prevention is an integral part of the recovery process. Help your spouse create a supportive environment by removing triggers and temptations from the home. Encourage them to attend support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), where they can connect with others who are going through similar experiences. Additionally, provide emotional support and be patient during their journey, understanding that setbacks may occur.

Just know couples therapy will likely only have benefit if they’re willing to do some self-work at the same time, either through individual therapy or an AUD treatment program. Having a partner with AUD can take a toll on your well-being, which makes it essential to take care of your personal needs — physical and emotional. You can’t make your partner get help, and you can’t force them to change.

The important thing is that your partner has a productive conversation about their AUD with someone who cares about them. Being patient with yourself and open-minded to the symptoms of an AUD can help you face the truth. 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. If your spouse fits any of these criteria, that may help you to understand why an alcohol use disorder is affecting your family.

If you’ve been covering up for your loved one and not talking about their addiction openly for a long time, it may seem daunting to reach out for help. However, it’s important to make sure you’re getting the support you need as well. Lean on the people around you, and, if you need to, reach out to a mental health professional to speak about your stress and what you’re going through. Our state-specific resource guides offer a comprehensive overview of drug and alcohol addiction treatment options available in your area. Some spouses hold onto memories of the person they first knew and cling to hope that this person will return on their own. In reality, an alcoholic spouse will likely not get better on their own, so doing nothing is not a wise option.