For many couples, alcohol is a big part of life, from toasting engagements to sitting in front of the television on a Friday night and relaxing after a hard week at work. However, while those are lovely moments, relationships with alcohol can vary.
Alcoholism is an incredibly common problem and is responsible for over 5% of deaths globally each year. During the pandemic, more and more people fell into alcoholism, to the point where treatment centers like Sanctuary Lodge are seeing record numbers come through the door looking to get sober.
And for any relationship, getting sober is a must. Alcoholism can have a huge impact on both a person’s health and the people around them, so what do you do if you think your partner is addicted to alcohol? And how do you spot it?
There are tell-tale signs when it comes to discovering whether your partner is addicted to alcohol, including:
Mood Swings
One of the first things you’ll notice is that your partner’s moods will start to change significantly, and can even turn in a heartbeat. Under the influence of alcohol, whether actually intoxicated or during the “hangover stage”, a person’s mood can really change and in many cases it can also lead to domestic violence, with alcohol a significant factor in many cases.
Ultimately, you may find they are much happier when around alcohol too, which is another red flag that they may have a dependency on it.
They don’t know when to stop
While we’ve discussed already how lovely it may be to sit on the sofa with a glass of wine beside your partner. For you, that may be A glass of wine. For your partner, one may turn into two, three, or four and before you or they know it another bottle is opened.
Not being able to stop is a real sign that they have a problem with alcohol. Equally, if you challenge them to stop drinking and they can’t then it’s very much likely a problem has developed with the substance.
They’re keeping secrets
Keeping secrets can be hugely damaging in a relationship, but addiction can be one of the driving factors behind that as they look to hide the amount of alcohol they are drinking or the knock on effect from that – for example, did they get drunk and do something they shouldn’t? Have they spent too much money in the pub and are now suffering financial difficulties?
You’ll start to see your partner hiding more and more from you, and then you not only have the problem of addiction to deal with but one of the lies as well.
p.s. Related posts:
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Great Topics from A Kids Book About …
Best Advice To Parents With Alcohol Addicted Teens Or Young Adults
166 Chapter Books for Difficult Situations: #MGGetsReal
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