What are the Dos & Don’ts of dealing with an alcoholic spouse?

If you want to learn how to deal with an alcoholic spouse, it will help to better understand alcohol use disorder. Living with an alcoholic spouse can be confusing because you cannot figure out why your loving spouse is willing to keep drinking when it is clearly causing harm.

Alcohol addiction is a complex condition of the brain that causes the alcoholic to engage in self-harming behavior due to intense cravings for alcohol and compulsions to keep drinking. An alcoholic husband who cannot stop drinking does not engage in alcohol abuse to hurt his family on purpose.

He does it because he has an alcohol addiction, which is a form of drug addiction. The husband with a drinking problem suffers from overwhelming cravings for alcohol, and a compulsion to continue with alcohol consumption.

Once he starts with a sip of his first drink of the night, he is destined for an evening of binge-drinking. An alcoholic spouse, whether it is a husband or wife, suffers from alcohol dependence, and an inability to control their drinking.

An alcoholic partner can destroy a relationship, even if they are a functioning alcoholic who can still function at work. Excessive drinking leads to alcoholic behavior due to intoxication, which becomes intolerable as the drinking habit persists. You can quickly lose your patience when you don’t know how to deal with an angry drunk spouse.

Alcohol addiction doctors can provide effective medication-assisted treatment for excessive alcohol consumption.

Just like doctors prescribe Suboxone as medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, there are medications that they prescribe for alcohol addiction treatment as well. Medications such as naltrexone and acamprosate, and others, are prescribed by doctors who provide effective treatment that a patient can take while continuing with their daily life.

The ideal medical treatment for each person will vary depending on their specific situation. Some people will do best with intensive alcohol detox. Others will benefit from medication that helps to slow down their drinking.

If you are concerned about your spouse’s drinking, you can schedule a consultation to learn more about available treatments. Knowing about your options will help you to have a more informed conversation with your spouse.

Getting help for a spouse who cannot stop drinking does not always mean sending them away to rehab. While rehab is right for some people, others can see a doctor and therapist to get in-home alcohol treatment.

Alcohol treatment for your spouse does not have to be disruptive to your life. There are a wide variety of options, many which allow your spouse to get private, confidential alcohol detox and treatment in the privacy of your own home.

Miami author, Hilary Sheinbaum, wants to warn young people about the dangers of alcohol.

Doctors have been observing a new trend of alcohol-related disease in young people. Specifically, young women are being diagnosed with alcoholic liver disease in increasing numbers.

Hilary Sheinbaum is a local author in Miami, Florida who has written a popular book about taking the challenge to quit alcohol for a full month to realize the benefits of sobriety. Sheinbaum is familiar with alcohol rehab in Miami, but her solutions are for people who drink too much, but may still be able to stop drinking without going to rehab.

There are many benefits to quitting alcohol, even for gray area drinkers who only drink to excess on occasion. For example, Sheinbaum notes that you can sleep better, be in a better mood, and you may even notice that your skin tone and color has improved. In addition to physical health benefits, marital relationships will also certainly benefit from cutting out the alcohol.

Drinking alcohol should not be an integral part of a married couple’s regular activities. Over time, one or both spouses may develop alcohol dependency, leading to serious relationship problems.

What should you do when your spouse’s drinking gets out of control? You know that something must be done, because heavy drinking can lead to serious consequences, such as drunk driving arrests or accidents on the road caused by driving under the influence.

If a loved one is able to read Ms. Sheinbaum’s book and follow her advice, to try taking off a month from drinking to see how it feels, they will likely discover that being alcohol-free is liberating and refreshing. On the other hand, if quitting alcohol is not as easy for them as taking a challenge, then they may want to learn more about medical alcohol detox.

An addicted spouse can get alcohol detox at home as an alternative to rehab.

For some people, going to a respectable residential rehab program, such as Recovery Village, or American Addiction Centers, may be the best option. In addition to addiction therapy and medical detox, rehab programs also offer family therapy.

Family therapy is an excellent process for helping family members, including children, to better understand addictive substance use. And the rehab client develops a better understanding of how their condition affects the family.

However, residential rehab is not always the best solution. Many alcohol rehab programs are centered around the principles of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program, which is not right for everyone.

Additionally, inpatient detox and rehab takes the functional alcoholic away from their work and home life, where they may still be needed. Fortunately, it is possible to provide substance abuse treatment, including alcohol detox and therapy, at home.

Home detox as a treatment option for a spouse’s drinking may vary depending on the specific needs of the client. If the spouse is not ready to give up alcohol, they may do best to start with harm reduction.

Medication-assisted treatment for alcohol use disorder includes medical treatments that can be started while the patient is still drinking. The Canadian Alcohol Use Disorder Society (CAUDS) is an organization dedicated to educating doctors and patients on alcohol addiction treatment medications that are currently available.

Doctors familiar with the protocols advocated by CAUDS are able to offer all of these medical treatment options to their patients. They may also be able to discuss treatment options with the spouse of a prospective patient in a confidential consultation.

Does alcoholism always destroy marriages?

Many marriages end because of alcohol addiction. While it is unfortunate that a medical condition can destroy a long-lasting marriage, it is also understandable that a behavior disorder can make a relationship intolerable.

Yet, not all marriages end due to a spouse suffering from alcohol use disorder. It is possible, through alcohol treatment and a commitment on the part of the sober spouse and alcoholic spouse to improve the situation.

Dealing with a spouse’s alcoholism during detox means seeing your spouse go through alcohol withdrawal, and then ongoing therapy for maintenance and relapse prevention. Withdrawal symptoms are unpleasant for a period of time, but the real work is in staying sober long-term.

If your spouse is struggling with staying sober, it helps to be aware of internal triggers and external triggers that may lead them back to drinking again. To be supportive, you can help to reduce exposure to these triggers.

Alcohol use disorder is a serious mental health condition, and not all people are prepared to deal with a spouse with an alcohol problem. However, for those people who are able to help their spouse through the challenge of getting into alcohol recovery, they may find that their marriage can become even stronger. If you have any queries regarding addiction recovery, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Mark Leeds.