Being married to a spouse who drinks too much can be anywhere from annoying to exasperating. You may have tried everything you can think of to change your spouse’s drinking behavior only to find yourself disappointed, resentful and at a loss about what to do. Below you will find tips on managing this issue.
Take care of yourself and seek out your own counseling.
This is the place to start to help you deal with the problem. A Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselors (LCAC), who also works with spouses, could be very helpful to you. Someone with that credential will understand addiction, levels of treatment, and the recovery process.
Find a free self-help group.
As most people are aware, these are available for family members of addicts, such as Al-Anon, Alateen for younger family members, and Celebrate Recovery, which offers a biblical approach to the 12-step model.
Praise the person your spouse is when he/she is not drinking.
Remove yourself from their presence when they are drinking and let them know you will spend time with them when they are not drinking. This can influence a better outcome than being confrontational. It is taking care of yourself along with setting a boundary, with the other person.
Resist approaching someone when they are intoxicated.
Arguing with a person who is intoxicated is an ineffective and often frustrating way to approach the problem. Additionally, it often leads to more arguing and unpleasantness, in the home environment. You are much better off influencing the person when they are regretful about how they behaved while intoxicated. An honest and caring discussion will sometimes motivate a drinking spouse to go to an AA meeting, make an appointment with a counselor, or enroll in a recovery program, which is at least a step in the right direction.
Please note, if someone drinks to the point of being unconscious or you cannot awaken them contact 911.
