7 Signs Alcohol Is Affecting Your Relationship

Substance abuse and substance use disorders harm more than just the person who is struggling with them. It also impacts those surrounding them, particularly personal relationships. This can be due to the effects substance abuse has on mental health, finances, and more. Relationship problems are a common byproduct of alcohol addiction, though there are several ways to combat it. Professionals can provide family support for loved ones affected by addiction and help individuals reach recovery at the same time. After all, partners and families are part of the journey and deserve help returning to normalcy.

This threshold of what defines problematic drinking may differ from person to person and from couple to couple. The current research evaluates how relationship satisfaction and commitment vary as a function of partner drinking and perceptions of partner drinking as problematic. Previous research shows that even when controlling for one’s own problematic drinking, one’s partner’s problematic drinking predicts relationship outcomes (e.g., Cranford et al., 2011).

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

This is because of the narrowing of their focus of attention on a specific action of the partner related to their drinking. This includes both financial and emotional support, which alcoholism can erode over time. Children are likely to experience a number of problems related to the conduct or financial situation of their parents when alcoholism is involved.

• In reality, they’re doing it for themselves while encouraging an unhealthy dynamic.
• However, the reality is that drug and alcohol abuse can affect not just an individual but their family and friends as well.
• Thus, lasting recovery from substance use depends, in part, on making the relationship better.
• Second, they may use illicit drugs or illegally obtain controlled substances.
• Individuals with alcohol dependence may drink partly to reduce or avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Joseph Gilmore has been in the addiction industry for three years with experience working for facilities all across the country. Physical and psychological symptoms of an alcohol withdrawal timeline present when someone who is dependent on alcohol abruptly stops or significantly moderates their alcohol intake. With MAT (medication-assisted treatment), the intensity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms and cravings can be reduced through one of several FDA-approved medications. MAT is most effective when delivered in combination with talk therapies like CBT or DBT. You’ll have access to both if you engage with one of our treatment programs. Regardless of the reason and nature of these arguments, ongoing conflict about alcohol can lead to breakdowns in communication and ongoing relationship problems.

What causes alcohol-related disorders?

As drinking or drug use gets worse, it starts to take more and more time away from the couple, taking its toll by creating an emotional distance between the partners that is difficult to overcome. These couples also report that they fight and argue a great deal, which sometimes can become violent. It is often the fighting itself that can create an environment or situation in which the partner with the drinking or drug problems uses these substances to reduce his or her stress. Couples in which a partner abuses drugs or alcohol have a very difficult time getting out of this downward spiral; fortunately, we also know of proven ways to help these relationships and, in the process, help the substance abuser recover.

• We might intend to meet a friend for one drink, and that might lead to a second or third, and then another bar.
• Your brain quickly adapts to this change, producing less GABA and more glutamate.
• But the prospects for successful long-term problem resolution are good for people who seek help from appropriate sources.
• For example, the perception that one is similar to one’s partner predicted relationship satisfaction better than actual similarity (Acitelli et al., 1993).
• Most addiction therapists will strongly recommend relationship counseling besides support groups for their significant other as alcohol affects every single aspect of the relationship.

Twenty-one percent of the studies were at risk of bias on the measurement of the outcome and also 21% of the studies were at risk of bias on study participation. Finally, a bias, whether on the predictor measurement, on the confounding measurement, or in the analysis, was reported in only 7% of the studies. In total, 448 items were scored twice, which resulted in disagreement on 67 items (15%), largely caused by reading errors. In all cases of disagreements, the two assessors could reach consensus during discussion. A number of the studies reported only one beta or odds ratio while the study had more than two waves [33, 35, 38, 39, 41, 43, 46, 50]. One of these studies used only two of the three available waves without a clear reason for this [33] whereas the other study did this because neither the PCR nor alcohol use was measured at the third wave [46].

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The result is that a partnership can begin to suffer as excitement and enjoyment fade. For this reason, psychological therapy can help to address concerns around alcohol and relationships as they pertain to co-occurring disorders. Often people will notice that they are fighting more with their partner when either or both of the individuals have developed an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Also, if you’re fighting when you are drinking, you may say or do things that you will regret or that you would not do if you were sober.

This can help to restore peace and balance as you support your partner through their recovery. Every client is different, which means we have several different treatment methods. One how does alcohol affect relationships of the first portions of treatment will be getting rid of all the alcohol in your body. Alcohol use disorder (AUD), more commonly called alcoholism, is an addiction to alcohol.

Alcoholism is linked to codependency in relationships as well as abusive behavior both verbally and physically. Deterioration in married or unmarried couples often stems from arguments, financial troubles, acts of infidelity, or, worse, domestic violence. Alcoholism also decreases sex drive, which can bring even more problems into an already strained relationship. When consumed, it can significantly lower levels of serotonin and norepinephrine, which help regulate mood. It can also temporarily cut off the effects of stress hormones, which can exaggerate depressive symptoms.

• The drinking partner may engage in highly provocative or aggressive behavior without thinking about the consequences of his or her actions because of alcohol’s effects on risk-taking.
• Drinking can lead to poorer decision-making in the moment, and can also lead to lowered relationship satisfaction through each of the factors above.
• Research has shown that involving partners in the treatment at some point can be very important in helping the treatment succeed.
• Alcohol addiction can drive a wedge within a family and within a marriage.