How Alcohol Destroys Relationships Intimacy in Alcoholic Relationships

Additionally, alcohol has a negative effect on the memory, leaving individuals unable to remember conversations and even arguments they had the night or day before. This also adds to one’s inability to be truly emotionally intimate, as we are not fully present for our partners or family members when we lose our memory. Interventions, when conducted in a supportive and caring manner, can be a powerful tool in addressing alcohol abuse. Involve trusted family members or friends to facilitate a structured conversation that encourages the person struggling with alcohol abuse to seek help and make positive changes. Relationship with alcoholic may increase the risk of engaging in other substance abuse, further complicating the relationship and posing additional health and psychological challenges.

Even when you have a strong connection with your significant other, your feelings can be reduced due to a strong need and desire to drink. For example, if you’ve forgotten important dates due to drinking or canceled plans from a severe hangover, your drinking may be causing relationship problems. Instead of trying to solve issues while under the influence, it’s OK to take a step back and address it at a later time, when you’re sober. Participants also cited high levels of conflict and arguing, another significant contributor to divorce, according to research from 2017.

Potential for abusive behavior

Keep reading to learn about the connection between alcohol addiction and relationships and how to prevent or manage relationship issues caused by a drinking problem. The issue is that when substance abuse leads to addiction, the addicted person starts to put their substance use above all other priorities, including time spent with family or loved ones. Drinking-related aggression can turn into a dangerous situation. A staggering 40% to 60% of reported domestic violence cases involve alcohol.16 Alcohol makes people likelier to act on violent tendencies. These outcomes are even likelier the longer someone uses alcohol. That’s because sustained drinking causes permanent damage to parts of the brain responsible for impulse control.

A lot of people who suffer from AUD experience intense feelings of loneliness. Serious health problems can go unnoticed—another way alcohol ruins lives. Additionally, mental health problems can become more severe, and major problems with socializing can worsen if a person becomes a reclusive alcoholic.

Impaired communication

Alcohol abuse affects the body and the mind, and the person suffering is often the last to realize the extent of the damage being done. Alcohol problems can quickly damage relationships, though it’s often more challenging to determine whether you have one if you’re dealing with an addiction. how does alcohol affect relationships Therefore, one of the best ways to prevent alcohol from altering your relationships is to recognize the beginning signs and stages of addiction. If you’ve begun hiding how much and how frequently you drink from your partner, drinking has become a significant aspect of your relationship.

Playing the victim in everyday situations allows an alcoholic to reduce their responsibility for their addiction, or downplay their ability to get better. This lack of shared memories with loved ones ultimately leads to feelings of detachment[1]. After all the good times we spent, you ended up ruining my life. Because of you, I’ve spent nights in jail, I lost my license, my job, my marriage, and my kids won’t speak to me. You are filled with empty promises that you’ll play nice and only come to visit once in a while.