When people fall in love, they want the best for themselves and their partners. They celebrate their love and plan for bright futures. Sadly, for some, the “for better or for worse” part of their vows comes to focus on the latter. If you need to learn how to help an alcoholic spouse, Creekside can give you the answers. We can help your loved ones turn their lives around. Our luxury sober living homes set the stage for comfortable living in an alcohol-free environment. Additionally, your spouse will receive the skilled addiction treatment they need to become sober and stay that way.

How To Help An Alcoholic Spouse: What To Do

You know the person you love has become addicted to alcohol and now you want to know how to help your alcoholic spouse. Start with the things you should do that can help. 

Address the Denial

Someone struggling with alcoholism often finds themselves in denial. They may tell you repeatedly that they are not in trouble. Make sure you do not agree with this assessment. Tell them calmly and as often as needed that you recognize they are in poor health and need help. While they may not embrace the message initially, spouses often hear their partners eventually. It’s important that they know you do not buy into their delusion that everything is fine. 

Help Find Treatment

Offer to find treatment for your spouse. In fact, doing some homework ahead of time allows you to tell them what options are available. When a husband or wife knows that you have cleared the path and can help them immediately enter treatment, it can feel easier to agree to get help. 

Keep The Focus on Yourself

Keep a focus on your own life. Create a routine that allows you to tend to work and family needs. Make sure you take time out for fun activities and spend time with others. Keeping a routine helps your life feel less chaotic. Additionally, modeling how a sober person enjoys structure can help your spouse see what they are missing. 

Self-care is important. Make sure you eat healthy meals and get some exercise. Remember that even if your spouse has not yet sought help for their addiction, you have choices for yourself. Al-Anon offers free support groups for people who have a loved one who is an alcoholic. These meetings allow you a place to vent, be understood, and get great advice from peers.  

How To Help An Alcoholic Spouse: What Not To Do

What not to do is just as important as what you do. First, do not assume you can control your partner’s drinking. At the end of the day, they make the choice to drink. Additionally, only they can make the choice to get help. 

Moral Failing

Do not talk to the person as if their alcoholism is laziness or a moral failure. Alcoholism is a medical disease that takes hold of a person’s brain. Talking to them as if they simply have to use willpower to get better will fall on deaf ears. They need intervention from medically trained professionals who understand the disease of addiction. 

Giving Up

Do not give up and accept that things will never change. Reach out for support for yourself. Present options for treatment to your spouse more than once. Even if you ultimately have to spend time apart, many spouses come around and eventually get treatment. From there, couples can rebuild their relationships. 

Reasoning

Do not try to reason with your spouse when they are inebriated. Confrontational conversations with people who are drunk often do not go well. In addition, in many cases, the person does not remember them. 

Perhaps most importantly, do not stay in an unsafe living situation. If your spouse acts violently or otherwise threatens you, get yourself and others in the house out. Not only does this keep you and your family safe, but it can act as the impetus that spurs someone to finally get alcoholism treatment. 

What Happens in Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Many steps to alcohol addiction treatment exist. Part of learning how to help an alcoholic spouse involves learning what the options are and which ones fit your partner’s needs. Alcohol treatment starts with going through detox. From there, many people enter a residential treatment program, where they live for several weeks or months.

Other people use outpatient rehab in Atlanta, which take place during the day. The person can get the help they need while still living at home. 

A popular option for many involves moving into a sober living home. These homes provide a safe, alcohol-free environment for people to live in while they adjust to life as a sober person. Most individuals attend outpatient treatment while they stay in a sober living home. This can include individual therapy, group therapy, and holistic therapy. 

Sober living homes provide a safe spot to put sobriety into practice. As well, residents enjoy being surrounded by other recovery-focused people who share the goal of leaving alcohol in their past. The homes are often modern, tastefully decorated, and located in popular areas of town. House managers help keep things moving and everyone on the right path.

Learn How To Help an Alcoholic Spouse

It’s hard when someone you love needs help and you don’t know where to turn. Do you need to know how to help an alcoholic spouse? If your partner struggles with an addiction to alcohol, we can help. Creekside in Atlanta and Tampa provides excellent sober living homes for those ready to change their lives. Our residents enjoy upscale living with access to world-class treatment for substance abuse. Contact us now and let us help you reach out to your loved one. We know how to help you get back the person you miss.