If you begin a relationship with someone who drinks heavily, think long and hard about your feelings. Are you in it for the long haul? Because having a relationship with an alcoholic affects every aspect of your life, together and separate.
If you are married to or in love with someone who heavily drinks, you may find yourself having a financial hardship. When it comes time to pay the bills, money may have been spent on drinking instead or your partner may have called in to work in order to stay home and drink and therefore did not work enough hours to cover the monthly expenses.
Another effect of alcoholism is severe lifestyle changes. The partner doing the drinking no longer cares to go out and do things but spends most of his time drinking. He does not want to go out for dinner and a movie because it will take away from his drinking time. He does not like going out with friends and family because he does not want them to see how much he may be drinking. He literally becomes a hermit because all he wants to do is sit home and drink, and drink, and drink.
The partner doing the drinking becomes moody and insensitive
The partner doing the drinking becomes moody and insensitive, even violent to the other person. As he drinks more and more, it affects other areas of his life but instead of taking responsibility he in turn puts the blame on his partner or takes out his frustrations on her. Alcohol has been directly or indirectly involved in more domestic violence cases than not. Home becomes a battlefield as the alcoholic takes out his stress on the one who loves him the most.
It is easy to fall into a pattern of enabling your partner to drink as well. As his world becomes all about drinking and feeling numb, his partner is left to deal with everything else, shopping, running errands, paying the bills, cleaning the house and yard, dealing with the children and extended family members. The alcoholic is free to indulge in his problem and the partner who does not drink no longer has a life.
The effects of alcoholism can be devastating to a relationship. It is not something to be taken lightly. Alcoholism ruins the lives of loved ones just as it does for those who do the drinking. Only when the love ones take control of the situation and get the alcoholics to complete an effective rehab program that they will get their lives back.
Nick Hayes is a graduate of the Narconon drug rehab program in 2005. Nick takes much enjoyment in writing, and feels there needs to be more information about drugs and alcohol provided to the people of the world. He believes nobody should have to go through an addiction.