Alcohol Abuse Advice

Alcoholism Marraige

The Damages of Alcoholism Marriage Can Suffer

There are many damages of alcoholism marriage can suffer. A husband or wife can make their spouse’s life quite miserable. Many unions cannot withstand the problems caused by alcoholism. Marriage is not always a strong enough unit to be the match of this insidious disease.

It can begin harmlessly enough. A husband has a bad day at work and has a drink upon arriving home. Or, a wife wants a little pick-me-up, and decides to make it a double shot of alcohol. No matter what the circumstances that precipitate the beginnings of a dependence on alcoholism, marriage can be affected.

After awhile, drinking becomes heavier and the marriage partner begins having trouble at work. They may have trouble meeting quotas, or getting commissions. They may lose out on promotions, or be demoted. They may even be fired if their performance is bad enough. All areas of work can be affected by alcoholism. Marriage can only suffer for it.

Problems at work bring instability to marriage. If one of the partners is not pulling their weight, the finances can become very tricky. To top it all off, the partner who has trouble with alcoholism in the marriage may demand to have control of the money. In their drunken fog, they are unable to make the budget or the checkbook balance anymore.

Much to the marriage partners’ consternation, sexual fulfillment is usually curtailed in a marriage affected by alcoholism. Marriage beds, no matter how good they once were, cannot endure the physical ravages of alcohol on the body.

Many alcoholics return home from work and drink until they stumble off to bed. They barely notice the presence of their spouse. These couples rarely have sex at all. Other couples try to have sex often, but their bodies are not equipped to perform because of the alcoholism. Marriage is difficult to sustain when every attempt at intimacy fails.

When the drinking becomes bad enough, there can be physical and mental abuse that only happens after the advent of alcoholism. Marriage can become a torture to those whose spouses can no longer control their anger and hostility towards the world.

The problem is that the spouse usually bears the brunt of all that anger. It may show up in the way she yells at him, constantly berating him and blaming him. Or, it may be that a husband will actually hit or kick his wife in a display of rage.

No matter how subtle or obvious the abuse is, it is difficult to stop when it is caused by alcoholism. Marriage counseling will probably not be enough help. The alcoholic must learn to face his disease.

Beyond this, the affects of alcoholism on a marriage influence the nonalcoholic spouse’s behavior, too. The nonalcoholic spouse will learn to make excuses for the alcoholic’s behavior, and will even take the blame at times. To cure the marriage, these issues must be addressed as well.

When it comes to alcoholism, marriage is often a casualty. People let the disease get the better of them before they stop and think of what they are doing to their most important relationships. If they could stop the alcoholism before it becomes destructive, their marriages might have a chance.

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