What are the ways of detaching from someone who drinks too much? Why would we want to detach form an alcoholic? How can I do this in love when I am so angry at them for being this way? Is loving them still possible after all they have done to me?
This particular subject unfolds into many various roads. I will shed some light and share suggestions on how to separate our emotions from being enmeshed with a problem drinker. Separating ourselves from the way they affect us takes time. It is a process of learning how to do things differently. We don’t really realize it at the time, but our entire lives get all interconnected with everything they are doing and it really affects our behaviors in damaging and negative ways.
Don’t Allow Them to Rent Space in Your Head
You may be thinking; “what does HE mean by that?” Obsessing over an alcoholic is our biggest problem in this situation. The constant looming thoughts in our heads are taking up precious space in our minds. With that being said, don’t allow them to rent space in your head. Find things to do which will change your focus. Read books, exercise, go to the movies or talk to a friend on the phone. Find things that will help your mind DETACH from thinking about them.
Learn to Take Care of Yourself
In the midst of your extremely busy life, learn how to take “out time” for yourself. The alcoholic may not like it that you are doing something to make your SELF happy. That’s OK… do it anyway! When they approach you afterward, just say; “I’m sorry you fell that way” and go into another room.
Understand that alcoholics keep us angry and anxious. We must do things for ourselves in the detachment process regardless of what they think about us. If you are a woman, get your hair and nails done. If you are a man go golfing, fishing or go for a walk. Taking time out to get a massage works really well for relieving stress. You can count on meeting resistance from them, but you have to start taking care of yourself regardless of what they think.
Detaching From What They Think
Because an alcoholic uses anger to try and control us, we must not get upset when they voice their disapproval of when we take care of ourselves. If you get involved with alcoholism support group meetings, the alcoholic will try to goof up your plans. They might say something like; “why are you going to those stupid meetings?” It’s possible they will try to create an argument with you just prior to you leaving for a meeting. It doesn’t matter what they say. Take care of yourself and make your support group meetings and recovery literature the most important part of your life.
Detaching From The Phone
You have a choice…you can either answer the phone or not answer it. You also have another choice. You can either listen to a message they have left you or delete it without listening. YOU DON’T HAVE TO LET THEM UPSET YOU ON THE PHONE. If they are getting out of hand, kindly say; “I’m going to hang up now. I’ll talk to you later.” Then gently hang up the phone. If they leave you nasty messages, don’t listen to them. If the start calling you repeatedly, don’t answer the phone. This is how we detach form the negative influences that an alcoholic has on our lives.
In a sense we are protecting our own emotional self.
How to Stop Arguing With an Alcoholic
Detaching from the old behaviors of arguing with them takes a while. You will have to learn how to keep your mouth shut. When you sense an argument is starting, tell them that you love them or really care about them and then say; “I don’t care to discuss this right now.” You can then go into a different room, close the door and read a book or watch TV. It doesn’t matter what you do…just find something to do other than to argue with them. Learning how to not fight with an alcoholic takes time. This is why it’s important to get involved in support-group meetings for friends and family of alcoholics.
Detaching from the way we have been doing things is a huge subject. We must learn how to separate ourselves from feelings of guilt and shame.
How To Enjoy More Peace and Serenity
- We learn how to avoid getting into arguments.
- We stop getting into the car and driving around to try and find them.
- We quit snooping around in their stuff trying to find their stash.
- We stop obsessing over the alcoholic’s behaviors.
- We learn how to just get in bed and go to sleep when they aren’t home late at night.
- We detach from confronting the lies.
- We learn how to let go and let God deal with them.
- We stop calling them to check up on them.
There are so many things effecting your life right now from the alcoholic’s behaviors that it’s going to take a while to learn how to do things differently. Little by little, “one day at a time” things will get better as you learn more about how to detach from an alcoholic.
When dealing with an alcoholic, learning loving detachment techniques is vitally important. As we grow in knowledge about alcoholism and how to handle dysfunctional situations better, we start understanding that enabling and detaching are very closely related.
As you continue reading you will learn various methods of separating yourself in a loving way from the destructive behaviors of someone else who is close in your life. These lessons can be applied to many different types of relationships.
The more co-dependent we are and enmeshed with someone, the harder it is to distinguish where we begin and they end. When they are happy, we also are happy. When they are angry our emotions are affected in a negative way as well. We can learn how to not flow with the mood swings of an alcoholic. It’s just going to take making a few changes and doing that “one day at a time.” Remember to go easy on yourself. These changes are all about making progress and not necessarily about doing everything perfectly. If you mess up, just start over.
Let me just trow out a few…
Suggestions That Will Help You Detach from an Alcoholic:
- Get involved in Al-anon support group meetings. Al-anon is a great organization to try.
- Read literature on the subject
- Start developing friendships with people from your support-group meetings
- Take notes during meetings
- Start keeping a journal
- Make this new lifestyle the number one priority in your life
Now here are a few…
Methods of Detaching From A Problem Drinker:
- Kindly say, ” goodbye” and hang up the phone
- Refuse to listen to phone messages after you hang up and they frantically call you over and-over again.
- Quit investigating what they are doing
- Read books or go visit with friends
- Shut your mouth when you are angry at them and go into another room
- Don’t look at them trying to figure out if they’ve been drinking
- Get your own life by doing things you enjoy doing without them
- Don’t allow them to rent space in your head,. Stop thinking about them all the time
- Arguing with an alcoholic accomplishes nothing. Refuse to partake in the chaos
- Let go of them completely and stop trying to control their behaviors
- Go for walks
- Talk on the phone to friends or relatives
- Take up hobbies again
When We Start Detaching-We Stop Enabling.
This new way of acting will allow the alcoholic to suffer the consequences of their actions and also help them to reach their bottom. In separating ourselves from all of their drama, we in turn, experience more peace and serenity in our own personal lives. Loving the alcoholic by letting go is the goal of this detachment process that we are learning about.
Separating ourselves as an individual in a co-dependent relationship takes time. As we continue attending alcoholism support group meetings and set goals to better our personal lives, it becomes easier to lovingly remove ourselves from the alcoholic’s behaviors. Being kind to an alcoholic will become easier as we learn how to love them differently. Again, this is not something that will happen overnight.
Avoiding The Sting
As time goes on, we begin to recognize the times in which associating with them would not be a good idea. As we continue to learn detachment methods, the sting of alcoholism occurs less frequently. This works very much like hanging out around a bee hive. As long as you don’t stick your nose in the hive and keep a safe distance, you won’t get stung.
The hard part of detachment from an alcoholic is breaking habitual patterns that we have been doing for a long time. This “just takes time.” I’ve heard it said: “if you walk a hundred miles in the woods, don’t expect to walk out in an hour.” The same applies to being obsessed with an alcoholic. It takes time and effort to break free from our destructive behavior patterns that we have become accustomed to.
As we begin to detach more from all of their drama, we quit enabling them to depend upon us. It’s hard to do at first because we are so used to rescuing them from everything. When we quit rescuing them and let them suffer the consequences of their actions, we are less affected by their behaviors.
Detaching from an alcoholic means that we let go of them. It doesn’t mean that we quit loving or caring about them. We just learn how to mind our own business and start living our own lives as they continue to drink. Even though we may still get frustrated with an alcoholic, we will react differently so that WE will remain more calm and experience greater levels of peace within ourselves.
Today-
Consider making a list of things that you enjoy doing and start doing them. This can help tremendously in the process of changing our focus.
The alcoholic may not like our changes in behavior, OH WELL! We have to be strong as we start doing things differently. This is why we need the support of support group meetings and of friends who know how to help us change.
Loving detachment from alcoholism means that we don’t make decisions based upon the alcoholic’s opinions, moods or advice in relation to our life. We eventually begin to be hardly affected by their destructive behaviors, views and attitudes toward us.
Now …I know I’ve shared a lot in this session, but just remember to do the best that you can “one day at a time.”
Written By: JC Google +
Hi Tyron
Everything everyone has said is SPOT on – but at the end of the day, it is YOU who has to decide what you want and what you will accept in life. What does it say when many of the responses are exactly the same scenario (just different house, people, lives – but still the same pattern) I was in a bad bad marriage and didn’t realize it was the disease until I realized that who I had become and what I was doing was not “normal” and certainly could not be all my fault.
I have no words of wisdom or advice, but all i can say is, life is short and living in the disease of alcoholism is something I wish on no-one and you can’t change anyone (even if they aren’t alcoholics) people have to want to change themselves for whatever their reason, sadly with this disease it’s a vicious cycle because blame and no accountability and so much more seems to be the factor of someone with this disease. i wish you luck and hope that you determine what is happiness for you –
Tyron
Take the emotion out of the situation. Look at it with open eyes. My husband is a recovering alcoholic. He got sober at 62. During his drinking years, he was highly functional until his health gave out. My daughter is a non-functioning alcoholic. She has anger issues and is very volatile. Her 11 year old son lives with his father who could no longer tolerate the abuse heaped upon him. She has had several relationships since then. The last one ended 2 weeks ago. She ended up being beaten by the man she was living with on and off. He says she physically attacked him and the only way he could get off of him was to punch her. Now isn’t this all lovely. She doesn’t way more than 95 pounds. She is presently renting a room and the landlady wants her out of the house as she is has come home drunk and barely able to make it up the stairs to her room. This landlady’s husband is a recovering alcoholic. It is all so very sad. So much drama. Of course she blames me, her father, her ex-husband and anyone else she can throw under the bus. For heaven’s sake, leave….don’t look back in 20 years and wish you had done so. Just take the feelings out and make a clear decision.
Hi Tyrone,
Al-Anon might be helpful to you. If you can’t go to meetings, you can read about it on-line. I think you can even YouTube information about it. I learned in Al-Anon that I must take care of myself. Your concern that you would drive her to drink, however noble, is not in your best interest or hers. When you take the step you believe you must take, then you are doing the best you can for both of you. I also enjoy Pinterest where I look up the Al-Anon slogans. One day at a time is for you too. Let go and let God is a really big deal even if you don’t believe in God. The 3 C’s are; I didn’t cause it, I can’t change it, and I can’t cure it. The only person you can change is you. There are tons of simple slogans that you can bring to your own assistance without ever uttering them aloud. My alcoholic (my husband) was very charming at first but after several years when things didn’t go his way, his tiny verbal abuses turned into controlling and demeaning verbal abuses. Then they morphed into glares and silences. He told me I should know what he was thinking and he withdrew financial support as a means to control me. My home was mine before our marriage. I inherited it when my first husband died from a brain tumor. I could not leave my home and did not have the skills to kick him out. I was hoping for a divorce. I found a therapist and she told me to join Al-Anon and I did. The changes that happened to me were slow but they were welcome. I learned that I was not responsible for his behavior. I practiced the slogans and read the information provided. When he finally told me he was leaving, I was relieved. Two months after he left me, he committed suicide. Thanks to my therapy and Al-Anon, I knew it wasn’t my fault. His health was poor, mostly due to his drinking but he seemed unwilling to get medical treatment in a timely manner. He was in such bad physical shape that it would have been far easier for him to kill himself in my basement and he did not do that. I came to see that as an act of love. In Al-Anon, we’ve all suffered from an alcoholic in our lives whether it be a friend or family. There is no way to “reason out” why they do what they do, but no matter what, what they do now or in the future is NOT your fault. It is common when one partner frequents Al-Anon, that the other partner will make a major decision to change due to the first person changing. I’ve heard many stories where the alcoholic stops drinking and gets help especially when they truly love you. There is an underlying reason for the person to drink like they do but it’s up to them to find the connection, not you. Real change only happens when a person sets out to do so and then practices their new perspective. I wish you the best.
Hi my name is Laura I’ve been reading articles from the site for quite a few months my first time posting I thank God that I am not alone. I have been with my husband for 5 years married for really did not understand what an alcoholic was I knew he was a heavy drinker but before we got serious in the relationship I told him he drank too much and I couldn’t be with him and he quit for almost a year. Of course I fell in love with the real person the sweet loving kind quiet gentle person got married within a couple years the disease had picked up right where it left off, it’s been a struggle the last 2 years 2 times in rehab first time to shut me up I’m sure the second time was just this June for him he says things were really bad. Two days home from rehab July 10th he told me he wanted to move out wants a divorce needs to find himself and grow up I was devastated blindsided professing his love all through rehab and then this. All the loving and waiting and hoping and praying to be tossed out like a dirty mop. He’s now roommates with a man he met in rehab who is an alcoholic and getting a divorce as well I’m putting two and two together. He finally got honest with me and told me he’s been drinking ever since he moved out I now know in my heart this did not have anything to do with me he’s just not done drinking so very sad that this disease holds the trump card he chose his alcohol over his very loving good life. I’m in pain I do know it’s a blessing no more hurt for me but very hard to accept. I am an Al-Anon and have a sponsor thank God for Al-Anon I guess I’m looking for answers how common is this for an alcoholic to abandon no notice no morning no prior talk of divorce to continue his drinking?
Deanna…find a friend who can share the rent. Or rent a room. I would live in a tent before I’d put up with the nonsense you are putting up with. It takes courage to change….you can’t change him so change you. Do what you have to. Get out of your current situation…it will not improve. Life is so short…you have nothing to fear but fear itself. It’s fear of the unknown and you are paralyzed by it. Get out NOW. Please.
Hi my name is Laura I’m new to this chat site thank you all for so much good information I’ve been married to my ah for five years he’s been to rehab twice in the last year just got home June 10th and told me he wants to move out grow up and do it on his own. Completely blindsided no previous talk of divorce looking forward to possibly recovery and healing or marriage from the disease of alcoholism finally he got honest and told me he’s been drinking ever since he’s left the house and now is a roommate with a man he met in rehab also alcoholic and going through a divorce also very sad. Why would someone abandoned their home love Security Financial Security they only for this disease I will never understand any help would be appreciated I’m trying to move on Anna just it’s just all so very sorry sad
Hi my name is Laura could use some help understanding wine alcoholic what abandoned everything they have for continuing their drinking. My alcoholic husband pretty much blindsided me with wanting to move out do it on his own two days home from rehab to find out he still drinking I do know now I lost my marriage to the diseases of alcoholism just all so hard to understand any similar stories?
I feel like everyone here has written about my experience with an alcoholic father (who was sober for 23 years before he died) and a 9 year whatever with an A boyfriend. It only
gets worse. Even if the A becomes sober, the one they live with has no real relationship -just like the posts above have stated. It is exhausting to get up each day and face the unknown – it will take your personality and health.
I wish everyone here a safe and Happy 4th!
Deanna, I know what you are going through. I am in a relationship with my partner. He works, but he drinks every night. On his days off, he gets totally drunk. I asked him the other day about his stopping drinking, and his response was “I don’t want to stop.” I am in the same boat you are in. I am trying to find a way to leave him. He keeps telling me that he can’t do anything without me, but I am tired of the abuse. You just need to do something for you. I will pray that you will have the strength to do what you need to do.
Friendly reminder to make sure to say you love him too! I pulled away from an alcoholic recently, but then she passed away suddenly…
Hi All, there is great therapy for all us here to be able to read and respond to other people’s struggles. I was married to an AH for 22 years – I left him for a day, a weekend, a week, a month, and finally a year and a half. BUT I went back each and every time – that was when I knew I was a sick as he was. He has been to rebar 3 times, with the last one being 5 weeks after I left – for what is the last time for me. It’s been 4 months, and it’s hard to not go back – mostly because he’s sober, but I also know that just because he’s not drinking, doesn’t mean he has become a nicer person – he hasn’t. And that’s how I know I have made the right decision and now stick to it. It’s not easy – we have 4 children, 2 grandchildren, and had everything and nothing, all at the same time. I am keeping a “rap sheet” of all the things that have happened – that I can remember – over the last 22 years. That alone helps me stay away – sober or not, there has been too much water under the bridge. It takes planning – I planned for over a year, and when the opportunity presented itself, I took the door. I am living a much simpler life, a more peaceful life, and when I open the door to my home, there is NO STRESS. I used to have memory problems, now I am able to think much more clearly. For those of you who want to leave, be strong, be gentle with yourselves, reach out to others (something I sucked at) and you willl get through it
Hi there I was reading through you’re message and I can relate. I have been with my partner for quite some time and his behaviour is only just beginning to change now. This is the third time I have let him but this time it is different. He has been an absent father due to his drinking life. Previously I didn’t give him any responsibilities with the children when we were on a break. Now he has to look after the kids will three days a week, party cause he doesn’t want to pay child support but this time I see change. Make sure she does her own things, don’t pick up her pieces. Its important for you to not be in the house with her if she is in a bad mood. There are plenty of people out there who care. Make you’re life happy and let her sink in her own pool. Take care.
Thank you! This was so helpful. I started back with Alanon this week – working on step 1. Thank you!
Thank you to all, for your sharing. Reading your posts give me strength and hope. After many threats, I finally kicked my AH out of our home. On the day he decided to drop out of his outpatient rehab he decided that it was a good idea to pick up our 2 year old son, drive him drunk and then take him to the pool. He told me in his drunken stupor that because he had to take a piss, he turned his back on our son and our 2 year old jumped in the pool with no life jacket. It was in this moment that I realized how blind I was being. My son could be dead right now. I truly believe that an angel was watching over him that day. My AH proceeded to go on a 6 day bender after this incident. Because he is out of our home I am at peace. This disease has no reason and no logic. My AH needs to figure this out on his own. I realize that we cannot go down the drain with him. I joined Al-Anon about 7 weeks ago and I believe that without this program and those meetings, I would still be enabling my AH and believing his lies. I remind myself of the three C’s every day. I want to start focusing on me and doing what is best for my son and I. I pray for my husband every night but now that he’s not in our house I feel like I can finally breathe.
I love my husbankd. he is a recovering alcoholic.He has been 10 months off alcohol; however, while talking to him on the phone recently, I could tell he had been drinking. I questioned him, as usual he denied and after my losing my temper because I knew he was lying to me he said yes he had been drinking. I was once again so hurt not so much he slipped and drank but he lied. I do know that denial, and lying go hand in hand with alcoholics. I was so made, I refuse to go anywhere with him, wont fix his dinner and sent him packing to sleep in spare bedroom. I know I can’t stop him from drinking thats his responsibility and I feel my actions admmittedly out of anger and hurt are consequences for his behavor. Now the sad part because I do love him and except for his slipping occasionally bak to alcohol he is an outstanding husband and I sincerely believe he loves me so I begin to feel my consequences are mean spirited and I begin t feel gluilty for treating him this way. Ive been told leave him drink, don’t ask him if hes been drinking just let him go. I know from personaly experience with him that when I confront him, and I get so upset he’s promises me he will tru harder and he does again for anothr 8-10 months. But if I don’t confront him, I,m sure if he thinks he is getting away with this slip he will continue to drink and not make an effort to stop. Somy question is since he only slips occassinally an stops immediately after he is confronted should i be grat3ful for this occassional slip and nkot place consequences on him . I feel so lost as to how to handle these reoccurrences Any suggestions
I agree with this article. About the only way I will ever help my daughter is to let her live her life with her decisions. Everyone has to do that. I cannot save her, but she can save herself. She is the ONLY one that can. As much as I would love to wave a magic wand and take it all away. It doesn’t work that way. I tried and tried and tried for nearly 7 years. Basically all I can do is love her and make sure she isn’t hungry. For the last six months she has been living on her own. I don’t know how she does it because she can’t hold a job. This I have to accept and not wonder or obsess about.
I know who my daughter is. She is a great person when sober. I love her very much. Alcohol has such a hold on her. It doesn’t seem like there is much out there to really help addicts as far as treatments. And that is sad for our country. I do believe though that each addict has it in their power to overcome through some means. I will not enable my daughter any longer and try to make it better. I had to and have to set boundaries. For her and me. I believe the more I interfere the longer her road to recovery. If I make a suggestion it is my idea and not hers. I believe her answers lie within her like mine are within me.
I believe it will never be healthy for her, or me, to live in the same house. I wish we could because it is nice to have a daughter to chum with. But it definitely won’t work and isn’t healthy. Errrg. This is very hard.
The last straw with one friend whom I’ve cut off was when he threatened my ability to make a living.
I had been distancing myself from him for 10 years, and had seem only once in that time. He called regularly, and his phone calls were really long.
They became increasingly annoying. I listened (not sure why) as he described his extramarital affairs on one long call, for example.
Then he exploded at me in another call.
Three days later, he left a message on my home email with a derogatory comment about my one employee. I work from home, and fortunately erased it before she heard it.
Those last two events were it. He’s also a gossip, so I knew that I had to cut him off, or anything I said to him would be repeated to my employee, and vice versa.
He kept calling and leaving long messages. Finally, after a few weeks, I picked up and told him I was extremely upset with the way he had blown up at me, and also about the message he had left about Nan, my employee.
He was surprised, and said, “What did I say? I was drinking that night, for pain management purposes.” He had been blackout drunk. I didn’t know he was drunk at all, although I knew he had a drinking problem.
Being blackout drunk isn’t an excuse. He poured the booze down his throat while he was on the phone with me, and no doctor would recommend alcohol for pain management purposes.
He apologized, I got him off the phone, but wasn’t going to go through this any more with him. He kept calling (I guess not enough others were taking his calls). Finally, I picked up again, and told him I had only a few minutes. He asked me how Nan was doing, and I told him not to ask me about Nan any more. He stopped calling for 6 months, and then started again. I haven’t picked up the phone when he’s called since.
My married best friend of 44 years is an alcoholic. We embarked on a physical relationship but ended it then moved into an emotional affair. We talk three or more times a day. He has become angry lately. Begs me not leave him one minute and 10 minutes later, he doesn’t want to talk. He is lying, he is having black outs, our whole relationship is on his terms. I obsess not knowing if he is talking to me or not. He never ignored my messages or post until the last few months. He is unreliable because he doesn’t remember even saying or committing to anything. His wife is now calling me because he is drunk constantly and having accidents. Throwing his soiled garments on the back lawn. It is time I leave but do I just do it and get help with my obsession of the relationship or do I explain I can’t do it anymore because of his drinking. I love him but this is driving me crazy.
May I simply say what a comfort to uncover somebody who genuinely understands what they are discussing over the internet. You definitely realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people ought to look at this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you’re not more popular given that you most certainly possess the gift.
My partner and I have a four year relationship. We met each other after my divorce after 30 years of marriage. Originally from my hometown, He had told me that he had had a “problem with alcohol” but realized he had to get it under control and did just that. Blew it off. Short side of a long story, he did and does not have it under control. Four years and five rehabs later, still lying, abusing and denying. I have never lived a life like this before. I attend Al Anon meetings. This group consists of alcoholics that attend AA as well. The same people “share” over and over again not allowing others to speak. I want out of this dysfunctional relationship. I’m tired, 67 years old, have spent thousands on this guy to try to help him. I realize that I am co dependent. Thanks for sharing this information with me as it gives me some hope.
What i don’t realize is if truth be told how you are no longer actually a lot more neatly-appreciated than you may be now. You are so intelligent. You recognize therefore significantly with regards to this topic, made me for my part imagine it from so many varied angles. Its like men and women don’t seem to be interested except it’s something to do with Lady gaga! Your personal stuffs great. All the time care for it up!
Hate corrodes the container it comes out of. A profound statement. After hearing it I realized that was me. I have become extra- ordinarily quiet. Alcoholism kills not only it’s host but kills the hopes and dreams that this marriage was supposedly built on. I ask God every day to see me through another day. You learn to hide the sadness. My wonderful golden retrievers know and they stay close. That unconditional love. It’s hard to watch someone slowly die. He’s a high functioning alcoholic. The disease that kills one and leaves the living with the heart-wrenching memories of good and bad.
I am a 66 year old mom. My 36 year old daughter came to visit for Thanksgiving 7 years ago and never left. I understand what you are going through even though the alcoholic is my daughter instead of my mate. I have gone through the emotional process of anger, sorrow, guilt. I have tried helping, demanding, coercing, bailing, et al. About 6 months ago I realized all I can do is love my daughter but I can never let her live here. I make it too easy for her. She has all her needs met. Rent, food, transportation. She really doesn’t need to do anything. I take her power away. She is quite capable but is making the choice not to be. If she wants an alcoholic life, she is entitled to it. God gave me a life and I live it as I see fit. Mistakes and all. She gets the same. She has been through sobriety court, she has been in jail for a total of 9+ months. She has been to rehab. So, I make it known to her that I love her (which I truly do – we talk daily) but it is unhealthy for her to stay here (I take her power away). I am writing this because my heart goes out to you. I understand that you probably see all the good traits of the person who drinks. I only believe that they will help themselves when they see it is the best thing for them. I don’t think someone else (I) can help them do that.
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This is very helpful but for me he is already detached he threatens “let’s just end relationship” daily as if I mean nothing so I feel scared if I start doing my own thing will he even notice will he even miss me or will this really just end everything. I feel lonely so so so lonely but don’t want to lose him when he’s happy tipsy (not DRUNK) or sober he is so kind and smart and loving but I don’t know where that man is any longer he drinks 24/7 unless he’s at work (that I know of) HELP. I feel if I detach he will just move on without me and I’ll still have an Un-loving relationship where he goes his separate way and we have a kiddo to think of
Victoria, Is it possible to attend an Al-Anon meeting somewhere near you? There you will find open arms, love, support, information around the family dis-ease of alcoholism and, in time, be able to make the best choices for you and your son. Much Love and Light!
For some reason I started getting email notifications of this thread again after quite a few years. There is good life after an alcoholic…. I finally detached from an alcoholic Fiancée about 4 years ago. I met my now wife after spending about a year healing. She was everything my alcoholic ex-fiancée was not…. caring, responsible, and never any drama with her. We got married and we are both happy. My alcoholic ex-fiancée continued down that path and lost her job, her car, her home, and her teen kids all moved in with their father. I don’t even think of her any more and could care less what happened to her, as she brought it on herself. My advice is to do whatever it takes to get away from an alcoholic. They are toxic and you can’t save them…they will just take you down with them. Cut them out of your life like a cancerous growth, because that is what they are. I have no more pity for them, they bring it upon themselves.
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Thank you this has being so helpful, I started to feel so much better with all this advice you have shared. I read every single email you send. Thank you again.
I feel so alone and so incredibly hurt. I have been in a relationship with an alcoholic boyfriend for just 4 months. We fell quickly in love and it has been one of the most deep and strong connections either of us have ever felt with a partner. We felt like soulmates. I saw the drinking (and irritability and snapping at me) early on and he shared with me that he is what society would call an alcoholic but that his drinking is moderate (as he says he used to drink so much more.. that when I or anyone brings up the drinking now, it is laughable). He is 51 now (I am 42), and I am fearing for his health/ life. Although at this point, I have learned to detach and know that it is best that I do not get involved emotionally with his drinking (hard to do). From what I see, he drinks every day, some times having some at lunch or before especially on the weekends. He says he is high functioning (holds a good job, etc), and I see there is so much denial. We even went to a couples therapy session (addiction specialist) together- he agreed and even brought up the topic of therapy. I did not make him go. But ever since that session he has become mean, detached and has said he has so much resentment that he went to therapy. But he also said he liked the therapist and that she brought up good points! I have compassion for him because I know he is deeply struggling and self medicating his pain away. It breaks my heart to see someone in so much pain and not have any other avenue to address it and heal. He has been sober 2 times- once for 6 months, the 2nd time for 1.5 yrs. He started drinking again about 1 year before we met. He has said he doesn’t want to drink so much and that he is not stupid enough to loose me over the drinking. But that is exactly what is happening. This is my first experience with an alcoholic, so I have learned SO much in the past 4 months from wonderful websites like this and reading books and anything I can find to learn more… Our relationship has shifted as he says he feels judged all the time and that I am so selfish, and he blames me for everything and for even wanting to talk about our relationship and the arguing- which just triggers more arguing. I try my best to disengage from the arguing. Sometimes I am good at doing it, and sometimes I get roped in and emotional. He has become mean to me even when he hasn’t started drinking yet. At this point even though I have been struggling with knowing I need to walk away from the relationship, it seems he is the one walking away and saying he can’t take it anymore (and he can’t take me and my wanting to talk about us and how my feelings are hurt.. he just wants me to be “cool” and happy). I know this is because he doesn’t have the capacity to be selfless/ compassionate or manage any turbulence. I am so utterly heart broken that this man with whom I fell so deeply in love and who adored me so much is now acting so cruel- and all I hear is that the relationship is failing because of me… I know it isn’t true, but it is so hard to hear. Love to everyone here. Thank you for listening.
This is really weird for me because I am an alcoholic in recovery for almost 3 years now involved with someone active in the disease. Even though I have done alot of the same things and understand why he is lying, sneaking drinks, taking off to drink, etc. it doesn’t seem to make me feel better. It is so odd to be on the other side….I almost feel like it’s karma for all the things I did to people while I was drinking. I saved him pretty much from death finding him in bed for 2 weeks drunk and not walking. He ended up in ICU on suicide watch. Since then he keeps saying he wants to be sober but he doesn’t get it at all or even want it. He says staying at with me makes him better but I think it’s time for him to go home and feel all the pain and let him drink himself into oblivion. He’s been out on disability since the hospital stay but going back to work in 2 weeks. I love him and the good times are great but the bad times are awful and I feel like I am on a rollercoaster of emotions and just really want to detach…I guess my first step should be Alanon because I can’t do this alone.
In my family, it was always all about alcohol. An alcoholic in the family is a terrible thing. I know that very well. We struggled with it for many years until I found a recommendation for this guide by Ellen Petersen. I found it here – https://www.net-boss.org/shop/how-to-help-an-alcoholic-you-love
Excellent approach, which turned out to be a godsend!
I’m with you Caitlin, this Ellen Petersen’s guide is brilliant! I’m surprised that I haven’t heard of it before. It was so worth to spend a few $ to read this guide and change my perspective. I’m glad it’s a short guide and not 300 pages. Thanks!
Thank you Caitlin for sharing the link because this guide changed my life and gave me the opportunity to change this terrible situation although it seemed impossible
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Hello, my name is Kate. I’ve been with my boyfriend for nearly 5 years. We went to school together so I’ve known him since middle school. When we got together in 2016, he told me he liked to drink and honestly I never thought much about it. Every Friday, it was a 5th of crown and a case of beer. It went from this to drinking a half gallon of liquor by himself in a day or even a 30 pack of beer then sometimes buying 6 tall boys to finish out the day. I’ve talked to him over and over and even said he’s an alcoholic and an addict like his mom. After his last DUI (He got this when we first got together and didn’t tell me til later on) he was supposed to go to classes and pay the reinstatement fee but says, ah I don’t’ need a license that bad. Sometimes, not all the time he drinks and says all this nonsense and makes comments about my ex, my adult son who doesn’t like him and in the same breath he denys it or doesn’t remember saying it at all. We were planning to go to the beach, I’ve never been there and I asked him if he could give me one sober day because I didn’t want to have my first trip ruined and he said probably not. He swears he’s not an alcoholic, and even said he wasn’t going to stop drinking. You’d think I’d smarten up and ask him to leave, but I guess it’s easier said than done. This last stunt of him taking off for 3 days and laying drunk I told him I was ready to walk away from nearly 5 years and he needed to decide if his alcohol is worth it. I’m so heartbroken. I don’t know if I have the strength to let go. I told him I missed the guy I fell in love with, and he really is a great guy, when he’s sober.
Hello, my name is Joan;
I’ve read all the comments here – we all have an alcoholic in our lives one way or another. I’m 84 years old and trying to live out the rest of my years in peace. For 6 years I tried to help my 56 year old daughter survive. I joined Al-Anon 4 years ago. She has been in and out of my home so many times. All the drama of the police, Emergency calls, fights, disrespect, abuse took so much of a toll until one morning I was overcome with a spiritual event. I sat on the side of my bed and said – I can’t live like this any longer (it was the last straw when she broke into my home again). I knew I had to change. I didn’t feel safe. I put my house of 58 years on the market, quickly found an apartment and moved. I was so stressful to do this alone but my Higher Power was guiding me all the way. After making these changes I have not heard a word in 4 months – so I anguish over if she is alive, safe, sheltered. I’m still working on detaching with love. I do feel safer here but am grieving the absence of my daughter.
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Joan,
God bless you.
She will
Be okay. You are okay.
You are a strong woman.
Powerful and loved by the Great Shepherd.
She is under His care. Your daughter is under HIS CARE!
You can let her go.
Peace be with you
Maria
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Love that it’s made from safe materials for pets, which puts my mind at ease.
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