A Look at Alcohol and Your Closest Relationships
Heavy alcohol consumption can greatly affect your relationships. According to a recent publication by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) there are two commonly recognized alcohol use disorders: alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse. Both can seriously affect intimate relationships including those between spouses and parent and children. Perhaps, one of the most devastating effects that alcohol can have on the family is the association with violence. According to the NIAAA, those with alcohol use disorders may also be more prone to:
- Marital conflict
- Infidelity
- Jealousy
- Economic insecurity
- Divorce
- Fetal alcohol effect
Heavy alcohol consumption can adversely affect nearly every relationship that a person has. It is not isolated to relationships at home but also those at work and friendships or family relationships outside the home. Between partners, alcohol may exacerbate underlying problems that already exist in the relationship. Consuming too much alcohol may make you more likely to argue or fight with your partner, bringing problems to the forefront. At work, heavy alcohol consumption may make you more likely to miss deadlines, be excessively late or miss work altogether. This can cause tension between you and your employer as well as coworkers. Unfortunately, a parent experiencing alcohol use disorder often has a huge impact on any children in the household. Children are generally very aware if their parent has an addiction or dependence on alcohol.
While alcohol consumption can adversely affect your relationships, there is help available. Today, the options for treatment are endless. There is no longer a one-size-fits-all approach to treatment. The sooner a person seeks treatment the more likely that they can salvage affected relationships at home, at work and in every aspect of their life.