And no amount of shaming from your family or friends is going to force you into a decision you aren’t ready to make. If your husband shows willingness to address his alcoholism, exploring treatment options together can be a constructive next step. Understanding the various approaches to addiction treatment and their benefits can be an empowering process for both of you. At The Ridge Ohio, we aim to provide trauma-informed care to struggling alcoholics and their spouses. Functioning alcoholism is manageable but can become potentially harmful and lead to ongoing health issues with irreversible consequences. Learning that your husband is a functioning alcoholic is a profoundly emotional and isolating experience.

What to Do When Your Husband Is a Functioning Alcoholic

A functional alcoholic is almost always an alcoholic or a family who is comparing them to those worse off than them. Strength, courage, and conviction serve as necessary traits for the battle against the grip of addiction. Witnessing a loved one’s drinking and the ramifications of their alcohol abuse can feel overwhelming and commingle with feelings of shame, fear, anger, or self-blame. Many spouses feel hesitant about confiding in their friends and family members for fear of how their husband or wife may be perceived. Thankfully, there are support groups available both in-person and online, where you can freely share your challenges and struggles with a caring community that understands what you are going through.

Son clammed up because I wouldn’t give him money

In the end, learning how to balance care for your spouse with care for yourself is crucial to navigating the challenges of living with an alcoholic partner. What makes Casa Palmera distinct from other treatment facilities is our desire to not Sobriety only heal the body, but also aiming to heal the mind and spirit. A functional alcoholic will often try and control certain aspects of home life to ensure that they can comfortably continue their drinking. It is very common for one or more in the household to become an enabler to the functioning alcohol abuser, whether or not they are cognizant of it. While it may seem obvious, many spouses aren’t normally aware of the sheer amount of alcohol their loved one consumes in a week.

• You can offer to attend counseling sessions with them or help research local rehab facilities, showing that you are supportive of their journey.
• Take their thoughts and opinions into consideration before you make any decisions.
• Maintaining patience and empathy can be challenging but is often necessary to keep lines of communication open.
• That stress inevitably bleeds into relationships, which can cause cracks and fissures that will rupture if not addressed in a healthy way.
• Every person who loves someone with an addiction has to choose whether to help the person or to distance themselves from the person.
• Jackie has been involved in the substance abuse and addiction treatment sector for over five years and this is something that she is truly eager about.

How to Get Help And Find Freedom from Addiction

• Like peanut butter and jelly, functional alcoholics and codependent wives tend to go together.
• To protect yourself from the alcoholic, it is suggested that setting boundaries and holding them accountable for their actions is often helpful for both you and them.
• Alcohol use disorders are chronic conditions, but many people benefit from treatment and ongoing recovery efforts.
• With proper treatment, many people can recover from alcohol abuse and addiction.
• Keep in mind that you may not know if they are drinking alone or to what extent.

Functioning alcoholism has significant psychological and physical effects. You may be trying to keep the peace, but these actions are actually making it easier for your husband to continue drinking. When you care for yourself, you are better equipped to help your spouse and maintain a healthier perspective. You can offer to attend counseling sessions with them or help research local rehab facilities, showing that you are supportive of their journey. Families may have a more difficult time setting boundaries and holding them accountable too. Families are frequently more fearful of confrontation because of guilt, shame, and past experiences.

Alcohol and Cialis: Risks, Side Effects & Treatment

Sooner or later, functioning turns into non-functioning, so it’s important to seek residential addiction treatment before they’ve hit rock bottom. If your spouse is ready to seek professional help, or if you need assistance in understanding treatment options, consider contacting The Recovery Village. With a network of rehabilitation facilities and comprehensive services, The Recovery Village offers multiple treatment programs designed to address the unique needs of each individual. No one has to face alcohol addiction alone; help and hope are available.

Functional Alcoholics and Codependent Spouses

Support groups can also help people who are codependent on a high-functioning alcoholic. Co-Dependents Anonymous is a 12-step program for people who are trying to recover from a codependent relationship. Other support groups, such as Al-Anon, are available for friends and family members who need help dealing with an alcoholic’s issues. People who are close to high-functioning alcoholics need to avoid becoming codependent. That means they need to avoid enabling and make sure they don’t become emotionally dependent on helping their loved one.

Over time, these emotional strains can escalate into more serious mental health issues if you do not receive proper support. The more an alcoholic can see their part in the problem, the more likely they are to surrender to alcohol addiction treatment. Blaming others allows the alcoholic to be a victim, and their focus is to make everyone else see what they did wrong and not themselves. This delusional thinking on the alcoholic’s part can prevent them from seeing the need to seek help for themselves. The more they think everyone else is the problem, the less of a problem they have or need to address. Due to how acceptable social and recreational drinking is, excessive alcohol use may be difficult to identify.

• In severe cases, legal issues (like DUIs) and medical expenses arise, adding to the household’s financial burden.
• Denial and avoidance are the typical responses of functioning alcoholics.
• This provides insurance that they will be more responsive and accepting of the conversation.
• When faced with the challenges of living with a functional alcoholic spouse, we suggest seeking professional guidance.

They can help you not only explore therapy options for your spouse and your entire family but also identify tailored treatment programs to meet the unique needs of your loved one. Alcohol use disorders are chronic conditions, but many people benefit from treatment and ongoing recovery efforts. Treatment options vary in intensity of services, length of treatment, and types of therapeutic interventions.