How Drinking Alcohol in Excess Affects Relationships & How To Find Help

Making excuses or avoiding the problem doesn’t help and in fact will lead to more harm for everyone involved. It is important to address the issue, to take steps to help the individual who struggles https://ecosoberhouse.com/ with drinking, and to know when to leave for self-protection if necessary. If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, therapy with a marriage and family therapist (MFT) can help.

After this, we will start the next part of the client’s treatment plan, which is therapy. One in six adults binge drinks about four times per month, consuming about seven drinks per binge. The majority how alcoholism affects relationships of binge drinks are consumed by those who are age 35 and up. While binge drinking doesn’t typically mean that someone has an alcohol use disorder, it is a practice that can lead to it.

How Drinking Alcohol, Regularly and to Excess May Affect Relationships

According to the World Health Organization, there is evidence to suggest that alcohol use increases the likelihood of intimate partner violence. Keep in mind, the family member with alcohol misuse issues could be a child or adolescent—as opposed to an adult. But regardless of which family member has alcohol-related issues, children can experience a host of effects related to alcohol misuse within the family. Various therapies and treatments, however, can help both children and family members deal with and recovery from these impacts. Just as treatment is available for alcohol misuse, treatment is also available for codependency and has been proven effective.

Learning more about how alcohol can affect your relationship is already an incredible step to be proud of. While alcohol can negatively impact your relationship, it’s important to remember that we are not our drinking habits. With time and support, relationships can heal and grow authentically without alcohol.

Rehab Programs

For their loved one, it can feel as if all they are hearing is excuse after excuse, for being late, for disappearing, for the mood swings, for the missing money, and more. Trust is essential to a healthy and functioning relationship, and once it is damaged, it can be challenging to repair. Those suffering from alcohol use disorder face the same impulses and urges as drug addiction. Dependency on alcohol can cause a person to make decisions that negatively impact their life as well as those around them. They may also begin to lose interest in activities and people they typically enjoy when sober.

Alcohol use disorder severely impacts an individual’s personality and, as a result, can make them unrecognizable from the person they were before they started drinking. People with alcohol addiction often become secretive over time to hide their dependence out of fear, shame or guilt. You may want to seek therapy or attend a support group for family members of alcoholics such as Al-Anon or Alateen. These groups provide emotional support and the opportunity to learn from those who have faced similar challenges. If you’re lying about your alcohol consumption or  been caught lying about where you’re going when you’re headed to the bar, your partner will lose trust in you.

How Does Alcohol Affect Relationships?

For instance, the majority of men who are classified as “high-level drinkers” do not abuse their partners. Rather, some researchers in the field of domestic violence postulate that the violent partner’s assaults are part of a pattern of abuse that is independent of alcohol consumption. Some individuals may use alcohol consumption to excuse their actions, but the blame is usually misplaced. Initially, a person may think that using alcohol helps them deal with these stressors, but over time, frequent heavy drinking can turn into dependence on the substance. Once individuals become psychologically addicted, alcohol misuse can become all-consuming.

• If you or a loved one are concerned about alcohol addiction and relationships, you should know that help is available.
• Contact AspenRidge today to learn more about our addiction treatment programs and how we can help you or your loved one on the path to recovery.
• Alcoholism can negatively impact communication, trust, and intimacy in a relationship.
• Alcohol abuse and addiction certainly carry negative consequences on an individual’s health and well-being.
• Support organizations exist for friends and family members of those with alcohol use disorders due to the problems created by the condition.
• Heavy drinking affects the mind and body, and the one struggling is often the last to recognize the damage’s extent.