Relationships

How is her/his drinking affecting your Relationships?

Unfortunately relationships are frequent casualties of heavy drinking.  Often, as the drinking increases, all relationships, for example marriage or partnerships, relationships with children, siblings, parents and friends suffer.  This is both common and unfortunate.  Unfortunate, as the drinker starts to feel increasingly isolated and marginalised.  This can lead to even more drinking to compensate, which leads to more relationship problems that leads to more isolation that leads to more drinking.  However as she drinks more and her behaviour becomes more unpredictable you probably find yourself withdrawing from the very people who might help you most; your friends.

Embarrassment, shame even guilt may stop you talking to your friends.  As you try harder to cover up his drinking it becomes harder to face your friends and lie to them, telling them everything is OK.

If you have children, you may feel that you have become more of a single parent as you become tied to the house looking after them.  Even having baby sitters may not be the answer as the embarrassment of him getting drunk may prevent you from asking anyone.

However the if the drinker is your partner, husband or wife, then the biggest casualty of the drinking is that relationship.

You probably find your feelings of love, respect, pride evaporating and sometimes being replaced by contempt, fear, loathing, distrust even hate.

You may feel guilty about these negative feelings, and powerless to do anything about it as the relationship with yourself suffers.

So what relationships have suffered due to his drinking, your immediate family, children, your parents, her parents, your siblings, your friends, neighbours.

Write all these damaged relationships down in your list.