How To Live With Alcoholic? Help, Co-Dependence

Posted On May 27, 2022June 27, 2022

Posted By Steffy Alen

Alcoholism is a common problem for many people, including many families. Unfortunately, addiction, unfortunately, affects not only the person suffering from alcoholism, but also all his relatives. How to deal with such cases? How to help an alcoholic, where to look for support?

Is It Possible To Live With Alcoholic?

In the long run, no – it is impossible to live with an alcoholic, especially when that person, whether male or female, do not see the problem and do not want to be treated. Sooner or later, addiction affects the life of the whole family, slowly devastating it. The problem of the alcoholic affects not only himself, but also everyone around him, especially his relatives – his spouse and children.

If this situation is not left unchanged, sooner or later it will have a negative impact on family relationships, bonds, and will also affect the development of children who, growing up in a family of alcoholics, have many problems later in their adult life. Therefore, when an alcohol problem arises in the home, it is important to take action to get straight, otherwise the family will be broken up and will bring the same suffering.

How To Treat Alcoholism?

The answer to this question is both easy and difficult. Yes, alcoholism is treatable, and there are many examples of how addicts have recovered and recovered from the disease. Unfortunately, the treatment itself is not easy and requires a lot of persistence and willingness, especially on the part of the addict himself. Without this, unfortunately, much will not happen, and forcing someone to start therapy only helps for a short time and is not a solution in the long run.

What Is Co-Dependence?

Alcoholism affects not only addicts, but also those who are in the immediate environment of the alcoholic, especially the family. This is called codependency, which is also often called “good wife disease”. This is because the whole family life becomes subordinate to the addicted person, often denying the problem and trying to hide it from everyone.

This is not pleasant because codependency involves a lot of negative feelings – anger, guilt, suffering, frustration, shame, and fear. These are most often helpless people who do not know what to do to change the existing situation and, moreover, do not see the need to modify anything. Codependency is a silent approval of a loved one’s addiction, submission to it and the slow self-destruction of the relationship. It most often affects wives and children of alcoholics, but there are also opposite situations, when the mother drinks and the whole family suffers.

How To Deal With Alcoholism In The Family?

The first and foremost duty, especially for co-addicts, is to be aware of the problem, not to sweep it under the rug. If you want to save yourself and your family, it is best to first get the necessary knowledge about alcoholism, its symptoms and effects, as well as treatment methods.

You should learn how to deal with the alcoholic and at the same time try to make the addicted person also aware of his problem. Alcoholism is associated with suffering that affects everyone – addicts, their families, and the immediate and further environment. Without proper conduct, it will not be possible to unravel the problem.