Substance Abuse and Relationships

How Alcohol and Drug Use Can Affect Your Intimate Relationships

 

Substance abuse, whether it be drugs or alcohol, can deeply impact your intimate relationships. Couples, where one partner has a substance use disorder, tend to experience marital problems.

Substance abuse can affect your significant other, parents, siblings, and children as well as almost any other close relationship. Alcohol and drug use can create emotional distance, exacerbate stress, and increase chances that an individual may become violent.

Alcohol can fuel arguments and may impact your sex life with your partner. Drinkaware UK states that alcohol may make a person become more aggressive and lead to arguments with those closest to an individual. There is also a link between alcohol and domestic violence.

A large number of couples that seek counseling end up doing so because one or both of them drink too much alcohol. Alcohol can be used as a coping mechanism to mask other problems.

It is recommended that you try going alcohol-free if drinking is impacting your relationships. If you are unable to stop drinking on your own, it is important to seek treatment. Substance use disorders affect millions of people, but only a small percentage ever seek treatment. If you have developed an unhealthy relationship with alcohol or drugs, treatment can help you overcome your underlying addiction.

In today’s society, alcohol is a substance that is widely accepted. Alcohol can be deadly, as deadly if not more so than other drugs. Despite its acceptance, it is important to evaluate whether you are drinking excessively or binge drinking.