LIving with an Alcoholic

I married an Alcoholic 10 years ago. I love this man very much and could not imagine my life without him. When we married I had no idea he was an alcoholic, and never had been around anyone who was. But I loved him, and so we got married. Our first year of marriage was not very easy. He got drunk every day, and I had no idea when he ever started during the day. He would hide his drinking from me, but I always knew. Our life had been one roller coaster after another. The life of an alcoholic is like a roller coaster, up and down every day. You never knew if they were up or down. You learn to look for the signs. Five years into our marriage, he finally went for treatment. 28 days. Life was good for about a year and a half, that's when he felt the need to drink just to fit in with some friends that had invited him to go fishing for the day. I found out something about alcoholics and any other addict. Anything is an excuse for them. Al Anon is a good place for some, it helps families and spouses of alcoholics. I never got much useful information from them. Don't get me wrong, this is a very good place, the support is helpful and just being around others in the same situation helps. Every Alcoholic is unique. No two are the same, I learned this from experience, and research on my own. If you truly love the person who is an Alcoholic, help them. They may not ask for help and sometimes don't want it. But you can be there for support.

12 step programs are great for anyone who has an addiction.

My husband has been sober now for four weeks, again, and life is good, for now.

Remember, AL ANON and AA are helpful, and can be very supportive to families and spouses of Alcoholics. Choosing to stay with an Alcoholic is an individuale choice. Your choices in life are yours alone.

If your are struggling with someone who has an addiction, encourage them to seek help for themselves. Choosing recovery is honorable.