An alcohol rehab program can help you or your partner if you are living with an alcohol addiction. There are numerous treatment options available to meet your needs, but many people begin with a medical detox program to help them manage alcohol withdrawal symptoms, which can be serious. A detox program can provide medical support and medications to keep you as safe and comfortable as possible as your body withdraws from alcohol.

Furthermore, research on men addicted to alcohol has found that over half struggle with sexual dysfunction, with lack of desire and arousal being the most common problems in this group. If you have to hide your drinking from your partner, whether it’s the amount or how often you’re drinking, it’s a clear sign that alcohol is destroying your relationship. Having an occasional drink or night out isn’t likely to ruin a relationship, alcohol and relationships but you’re probably in trouble when you’re drinking so often you have to hide it. If you have suspicions that alcohol misuse may be destroying your relationship, consider these signs and if you have general symptoms of alcoholism. “Everybody’s going to look a little bit different in terms of why they drink alcohol, what environments they drink alcohol in, what their personal risk factors might look like,” Dr. McHugh said.

Support Groups for Families of Alcoholics

Neuroscience research4 provides additional insights into just how damaging alcohol abuse can be. One study analyzing nearly 50 years of research with individuals with a history of alcohol abuse found that alcohol interfered with areas of the brain responsible for planning, problem-solving and impulse control. This can lead to reckless and unpredictable behavior, which is harmful to relationships.

More therapists should incorporate this into their practice so that more people can benefit. Very few people easily and quickly accept the conclusion that they have a problem. Most struggle against it and craft a variety of arguments to demonstrate that they don’t have a problem. These arguments often rely on misdirection—moving the focus onto someone or something else. Some have criticized Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs because they are rooted in religious ideology rather than scientific principles.

Ways to reduce the effects of alcohol on your relationship

Women don’t process alcohol as well as men because their bodies have less water to dilute it. If you’re withdrawing from your favorite activities, including hobbies that you and your partner used to enjoy, alcohol is causing problems in your relationship. If you’re lying about your alcohol consumption or  been caught lying about where you’re going when you’re headed to the bar, your partner will lose trust in you. This can lead to constant questions about where you’re going or what you’ve been doing, which is not a sign of a healthy relationship. Having a friend or partner who knows about your risk can also help you catch any potential problems.

Dr. Schuckit added that some people don’t feel as intoxicated as others do when they’ve had a lot to drink, or they may not recognize how drunk they actually are and therefore miss the signal to slow down or stop. Stephen stopped drinking while he was in medical school, in part to prove to himself that he didn’t have an issue. When he started again during his residency, then in his late 30s, alcohol affected him differently.

What accounts for the rest of a person’s risk?

Now, if you relax with a drink every so often after a hard day, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have a drinking problem. But if you’re regularly using alcohol to feel less sad or depressed, to calm your nerves, or to feel confident enough to walk into a room full of people, then you may be setting https://ecosoberhouse.com/ yourself up for a dependency. “You’re using it as an escape hatch, and that’s a warning sign,” Dr. Specker says. Previously, reviews of alcohol interventions have focused exclusively on the individual or relationship level – in other words – an individual or couple treatment for alcohol dependency.