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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

DH drinking... Please help

29 replies

AmberLilly · 16/10/2010 20:13

I posted here back in February seeking advice on marital counselling after I had an affair and DH took me back. Got some really supportive messages so thank you

Im seeking more advice now and hope someone can help... Will try to be succinct!

DH has refused counselling and his drinking is a real problem for me - it was a big issue between us before the affair and has now, not surprisingly, escalated. I try to explain how much it upsets me but he says Im just trying to use it as a reason to blame him for the affair (Im not btw- I took full responsibility)

I understand that he's still hurting (affair was 18 months ago) but I dont know how much longer I can cope with him being drunk every night.

I've had another baby in June and I want us to stay together for the DCs and also, very selfishly, for me because I couldnt bear being away from them half the week.

Whenever rows get bad he throws the affair in my face and says I can f**k off and he'll keep the children and the house- Can he do this?

Such a mess. I love him so much but its like being married to two different people. How do I get him to stop drinking

OP posts:
VictoriasLittleKnownSecret · 16/10/2010 20:16

You cannot make him stop.

Rather than you using his drinking as an excuse, is it not true he will use the affair as an excuse to drink forever?

What would make him stop? because frankly unless you know the answer to that you need to accept you are with a drinker or leave him?

AmberLilly · 16/10/2010 20:41

Yes, you're right. He's always had a 'reason' to drink and now its almost like he has carte blanche to drink as much as he likes.

I have thought about talking to his Dad about it. He's the only other person I can think of who DH would listen to, however then DH would tell him about the affair and Im worried about the fall-out - we have a close family and it would blow it apart

I think the only think that would really shock him into action would be if I left with the children but I dont want to upset them (DS1 especially) ... I have nowhere to go and again it would wrench the family in two.

OP posts:
VictoriasLittleKnownSecret · 16/10/2010 20:48

Amber -speaking to his Dad places DH in the position of being a child ?

He is an adult making an adult decision to drink.

You are an adult facing bringing up children with an alcoholic or leaving

Leaving an alcoholic is horrible because you kid yourself you're covering it all up and thus leaving seems like you're causing the problem?

Your Dh is the problem. The problem will not get better. Your children will grow up with an alcoholic living with them.

They will know. They will learn from this.

VictoriasLittleKnownSecret · 16/10/2010 20:49

You cannot change him. His dad cannot change him.

Only DH can make that change. Since you are making accomodations for him he has no need to

Think about it.

Irishchic · 16/10/2010 20:51

You have GOT to make him go to counselling as it sounds like, quite apart from the drinking issue, you have other issues ongoing in your marriage, that are probably partly at least, to blame for your having an affair.

If he was drinking heavily for a long time, this will have damaged your relationship and therefore not suprising that you had an affair, not an excuse, but certainly an explanation for it. so he should take some responsibility for all of this instead of blaming you and threatening you with you losing custody, WTF is all that about, he is being a prick, and your affair 18months ago doesnt excuse his behaviour.

Its time for you to turn the tables. Make it clear that he has to stop drinking, stop threatening and blaming you, and go to counselling if he has any wish to stay married to you, otherwise you have to look at the alternatives.

And tell his Dad every damn thing, the affair, the drinking, all of it, you may find that his dad will be more sympathetic to you than you expect. You are going to need a lot of support from the wider family to get through this so you should start getting it now.

Good luck, i really wish you well.

KristinaM · 16/10/2010 20:55

You cant make him do anything,go to counselling or stop drinking

Please go to all anon

AttilaTheMeerkat · 16/10/2010 21:00

Short answer is you cannot get him to stop drinking.

Staying together for the children is rarely if ever a good idea. Children know if there are deep problems within their parents relationship, you cannot and should not risk them potentially feeling blame for your issues between you as parents. They won't thank you for staying with their Dad if you are unhappy; they could well ask you why you did. When you say it was for them they will call you a silly cow and also say that you should not have bothered!. Better to be apart and happier therefore than to be together as you are and miserable.

If his drinking is a real problem for you it is also a problem for your children. These children growing up in a household where one parent is a problem drinker will do them no favours whatsoever. Also as adults they won't thank you at all for staying with him and could well accuse you as adults of putting him before them. You run the risk of leaving these children with a whole range of emotional issues if you choose to remain with a drunkard.

Your H is making a conscious choice to drink and you cannot and should not take responsibility for him. Enabling him too as you are probably doing does him and you no favours. It gives you a false sense of control and enabling can stop the person taking full responsibility for their actions.

Al-anon may be helpful to you as they can help family members of problem drinkers. There are often elements of co-dependency within such relationships and I would also suggest you read "Codependent no more" written by Melody Beattie.

BTW why did you take full responsibility for the affair?.

More pertinently as well, what are you both teaching your children about relationships here?. You need to consider that at some length.

VictoriasLittleKnownSecret · 16/10/2010 21:00

OP- it's a really tough decision but avoiding it is also painful

AttilaTheMeerkat · 16/10/2010 21:06

Amber,

I read that he has refused counselling (no surprise there really).

His threats to keep the children and the house are actually empty ones designed to keep you in line.

Did you embark on the affair primarily because of your H's drink problem?.

Go to counselling on your own and get things clarified further in your own mind.

I have no doubt that you love him (hmm) but you need to realise that his primary relationship is now with drink and alcohol is a very cruel mistress.

There are no guarantees here; he may well lose everything and he still chooses to drink.

You need to remember too the 3cs re alcoholism:-

  1. You did not cause it
  2. You cannot control it
  3. You cannot cure it
AttilaTheMeerkat · 16/10/2010 21:06

Amber

If you keep on avoiding his drink issue you will be dragged down with him.

AmberLilly · 17/10/2010 09:49

Thank you for all your responses, i had to go last night because he came home early. I will read through properly when i get a quiet minute to myself today and come back

x

OP posts:
VictoriasLittleKnownSecret · 17/10/2010 18:56

Don't blame yourself Amber x

Bullybasher · 17/10/2010 19:11

His first and last love is alcohol and you don't figure in his equasion.
you are well rid.
Harsh maybe, but true.

TorturesInAHalfHell · 18/10/2010 06:14

I hope you're doing alright today, Amber.

Tortington · 18/10/2010 06:17

you will be the worst kind of other bringing kids up in this environment.

why would a judge give custody to a drunk?

get out, you might love him and even feel guilty, but its tough shit, your kids come first and they shouldnt be dragged through this shit.

Tortington · 18/10/2010 06:18

mother* not other

AmberLilly · 18/10/2010 09:12

Ok, first of all can I make it clear that he's not an abusive drunk, If I thought my children were in danger I'd already be gone. I dont consider myself 'the worst kind of mother'.

I grew up in a house were both parents were what you might call 'functioning alcoholics'. It didnt screw me up but it wasnt exactly the most positive role model, and I dont want to replicate that for my children. DH is a pain in the arse when drunk and the relationship feels pretty empty when one of you is effectively 'absent' in mind if not in body. So that's one reason the affair started, because I was lonely and it was nice to get some attention.

Call me deluded but he's just a good man with a bad habit. Should I really separate my children from the father they love when there's a chance we can fix the problem? Surely leaving should be the last resort?

I know I cant make him stop drinking but maybe I can help him get to the bottom of why he is?

If anyone can tell me what goes on at Al-Anon meeting Id be grateful. There's one in our town on friday but Im a bit nervous about going.

I suppose I just wanted to know if anyone had had this problem and come through it?

OP posts:
Tortington · 18/10/2010 10:15

he drinks every night

every
single
night

and the kids are deaf to the rows?

they cant see dad drinking

every night

they dont see the bottles or the tins

they dont hear him shouting abuse at you
and you at him

and you grew up in that atmosphere, and it didn't screw you up much - except that, you are replicating it.

you just can't drink every night and be a good parent.

you can't

AttilaTheMeerkat · 18/10/2010 10:18

Amber,

I won't call you deluded but you are certainly in denial and emotional pain yourself.

No court in the land would give an kind of custody to a drunk; those are abusive threats made by him designed to keep you in line.

He is a drunkard; you had an affair probably as a direct result. Two wrongs don't make a right however, and your main priority should now be your children. I am not suggesting at all they are not your number 1 priority but most of your last post again is about him, your H. Many women end up enabling their alcoholic man and that is what you are doing now. How many times have you made excuses for him, covered up for him?.

Your children will love a drunk parent just as you loved your parents when growing up. But look where its got you. You are running the risk of replicating with them exactly what you saw in your own childhood.
You yourself grew up in a household with "functioning" alcoholic parents. It is not surprising at all to me therefore that you married a drunkard as a result; you were taught damaging lessons by these people (children of alcoholic parents often grow up themselves to be super responsible as adults which is not a good thing at all, they can also be left with a wide range of emotional issues) and it has screwed you up despite your denials to the contrary. You growing up in such a house made you more likely to marry an alcoholic as an adult.

Bet you tried to help your parents as well and did not succeed with them; what makes you think you can help your H?. How can you even begin to fix this, short answer is you cannot. Am not being unkind here but as his wife you're the last person who can help him. Besides which he does not want yours or anyone else's help (he has refused counselling). So you end up going around in circles again.

You are now replicating what you saw in your own childhood in these children with them having a drunk dad now. These children will be affected as you have by their Dad's alcoholism as adults and could themselves go onto choose alcoholic partners. This is not a legacy you want to leave them is it?.

Your had an affair which has now left you in a worse position that before. He unfairly now throws all that back at you and you both go around in circles with all this unhappiness both spoken and unspoken that your children pick up on every day. Your H is neither a good man or a good father to these children. If he was a good man you would not have had the affair. I reckon you would not call your parents "good" and nuturing parents either if push came to shove.

You are NOT repeat NOT responsible for him.
You cannot fix him and you should not even try to. Unless he wants to sort himself out there is nothing you can do to make him do this. Coercion on your part to make him do counselling (he has stated he does not want this so what does that tell you?) is an approach doomed to failure.

You and your children are being dragged down by this man. Better to be apart and happier than to be together and miserable.

What are you both teaching your children about relationships here?. You need to think long and hard about that.

How do you yourself see the next 3-5, even 10 years if you stayed with this man?. If a friend was telling you all this what would your response be to her?.

Would urge you to attend an Al-anon meeting, you will meet all sorts of people there with experiences you could well relate to. They are ordinary people from all walks of like who talk about what they have seen and experienced. You need real life support as well. I would also urge you to read Al-anon's literature as it is very informative.

"Codependent No More" is also a good book for you to read.

shodatin · 18/10/2010 10:48

Please do try the Al-Anon meeting/s for a few weeks - they are full of people who have a good marriage despite the alcohol problem, and who are happy to talk to you and pass on their experience, strength and hope.
No-one has to say anything at any meeting, altho it is usual to give your first (or nick)name. There will usually be time to talk privately to someone if you want to, exchange phone numbers if you like, and meetings are free
(contribution for refreshments and/or literature)

AmberLilly · 18/10/2010 13:36

Thank you Attila, there's a lot to take in and think about there. Its interesting you ask about the next 3-5 years as Ive been thinking "if its not all right in 3 years time I'll leave"

We have only been married 3 years and I suppose I just dont want to give up on it yet, I dont think I'd have the support of my family- as VLKS said earlier I feel like then its me causing the problem. On the face of it we are the perfect family, the only people who know the true extent of his drinking are my parents, and unsurprisingly they see it as something I should just be able to live with. Everyone else will think I've gone stark raving mad

I will go to the Al-Anon meeting and I will look out the book you recommend.

I suppose its no surprise but all my relationships have been with men who drank a lot... I never thought about it until the affair- which was with a man who didnt drink.

Lots to think about, bit scared... but thank you for all your honesty and advice. x

OP posts:
KristinaM · 18/10/2010 16:09

Please do try al anon, they are great

They were a huge help to my three half siblings, who grew up with an alcoholic mother. They arexall fine now and none of them have repeated the pattern , either marrying an alcoholic or having addiction issues themselves

But it was very hard for them and they had a hellish childhood. Despite their mum being "functioning" , holding down a professional job.

I understand that you want to fix the problem. But the thing is that YOU cannot fixit. The only person who can is your DH and he doesn't want to. Yet. How bad does it have to get before he will change his mind and seek help?

zombieinhighheelswhatnext · 18/10/2010 17:03

hi amber!, just wanted to add my tuppence!, im the alcoholic in our marriage, my dh is a fantastic man but had had enough, he goes to al-anon every week and says it has been of tremendous help!

i do echo what others have said - you cannot control his drinking, he makes that decision himself, you are not 'to blame'!, i think you need to decide if you can live the current situation or decide to give him an ultimatum, the only thing is, if you do go the ultimatum route, you HAVE to mean it and stick to it!

bobblehead · 18/10/2010 18:54

Hi Amber, I am in a similar situation in that I live with a non violent alcoholic so totally understand how you feel.
My dh now admits he is an alcoholic and is in a program, but not a very successful one so far!
I haven't left for many reasons. We don't row anymore, effectively we're on the same page in that neither of us wants him to be this way, but I hate the thought that he'll still be a drunk in 10 years time. I'm just focusing on having a life of my own so if he is my life will not feel empty.
Its difficult though so you have my sympathy and hope you find the right thing to do for you and your children.

VictoriasLittleKnownSecret · 18/10/2010 21:55

Amber I stayed with mine because I wanted t fix him.

When I left .... he really confronted his issues. I have no idea if he is tackling the problem but he seems better.

Sad though it is I think we had to part for both our sakes