Is Alcohol Destroying Your Love For Each Other?

Addictions come in multiple forms, and no matter what a person is addicted to, when it makes its way into your marriage, it can have devastating effects on your relationship. Here at The Beaufort Center for Marriage in Beaufort, SC, we’ve seen many couples come through our doors, and for many of them, addictions are at the center of their marital problems. These behaviors become life-dominating.

Maybe you can relate, and you’re also dealing with some addictions within your marriage. A few of the most common ones include:

•Alcohol
•Drugs (illegal or prescription)
•Gambling
•Sex
•Internet
•Video gaming
•Work
•Pornography

If any of those apply to you or your spouse, you might be feeling a little bit confused about how to tell the difference between a problem and something that’s become a full-blown addiction. We’re hoping this article will help.

ALCOHOL USE VS. ADDICTION

Perhaps you’ve had a bad day at work. You come home, hoping to relax and enjoy a nice dinner, but things aren’t much better at home than they were at the office. Dinner isn’t ready, the house is a mess, and your spouse is arguing with your children. You feel just as much stress at home as you felt at the office; maybe even more. You decide to unwind with a glass of wine, and you’re happy that it seemed to take the edge off.

Over time, a glass of wine after work becomes something that’s fairly common for you. However, it isn’t long before that glass of wine becomes two or three glasses, or even the occasional shot of hard liquor. Perhaps you even start drinking at other odd times of the day; even as a way to start your day. Before long, you feel as though you need to have some alcohol in your system to handle any type of stress or situation.

The first paragraph in this section is a good example of alcohol use. The second one is an example of how use can transition to abuse and then addiction. When an individual becomes obsessed and unable to stop a certain behavior the core reason they are using is to stop painful emotions. When used repeatedly the individual is trying to escape certain problems or feelings.

SYMPTOMS OF ADDICTION

Initially a spouse denies they have a problem and will enviably blame their spouse for their problems. A spouse who is addicted to alcohol is unable to feel the negative effects of their actions. Some of the negative effects include: self-centeredness, immaturity, dishonesty, independent behaviors, being unreasonable, angry outbursts and shifting blame. If your spouse’s drinking bothers you then it is a marriage problem. Any type of addiction usually begins with use and abuse, and if your marriage is suffering because of addictive behaviors, it’s time to get help.

Here at The Beaufort Center For Marriage, we have Marriage Coaches and Counselors who specialize in these types of marriage difficulties. Read more here. Your needs are unique, and we use a God-centered approach to help you break free from addictions so that you can truly experience the wonderful plans God has for your marriage.

If you would like to schedule a consultation with us, we’d like to invite you to give us a call at 843-379-0288, and you can also schedule an appointment with us online using our convenient online scheduler.

Addiction doesn’t have to rule your marriage. Contact us today to get started on your way to complete freedom and recovery.