When Your Partner Has a Problem With Drugs or Alcohol

It's tough enough when a friend has a problem with drugs or alcohol. It's even more complicated when your partner does. It's simply harder to see things objectively or to separate yourself from the effect of your partner's addiction when you're so emotionally, physically, and often financially intertwined. He needs help, and you need help. So who's left to help the relationship? Can we both get through this-together?

This article offers some insight and advice on how to support your partner, yourself, and your relationship through this difficult period. Perhaps it will also validate your own experiences and even offer some hope. Before going further, however, it may be useful to read When Someone You Love Has a Drug or Alcohol Problem for an overview of addiction, the recovery process, and effective helping strategies.

The course of addiction on relationships

Although every intimate relationship is certainly unique, predictable patterns often emerge when addiction joins the partnership. As addiction develops and evolves, most couples experience parallel changes in how their relationship feels and functions.