If you drink alcohol heavily or on a regular basis, you may notice an effect on nearly every close relationship you have. In many cases, a continued drinking problem can even destroy these relationships over time.
Drinking heavily can have a profound effect on your family, friends and co-workers. Your drinking may cause financial problems, legal problems and health problems for yourself and those around you.
If you have a drinking problem, you may find that it’s hard to stick to commitments, be reliable or trust worthy. In some cases, people with drinking problems are able to maintain their relationships despite the challenges they pose. However, in many cases, alcohol abuse and dependence takes a toll on even the strongest relationships.
If you are struggling with a drinking problem, it is important to seek help as soon as possible in order to protect your relationships and your overall wellbeing.
Need to know more about alcohol addiction treatment? Call us right away at 850.374.5331.
4 Ways Alcohol Destroys Relationships
Here are four of the most common ways in which alcohol destroys your important interpersonal relationships:
1. Alcohol Makes You a Different Person
Alcohol consumption has a profound impact on the brain, as well as your behavior. When you drink, it’s likely that you behave much differently than you do when you’re sober. For example, alcohol lowers your inhibitions. Depending on your personality, this may cause you to become more violent or more promiscuous. You may also be more likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as gambling or driving under the influence.
We all know that feeling. You’ve had a few drinks and suddenly you feel like a different person. Maybe you’re more confident, or funnier, or better looking. Maybe you’re just less inhibited.
However, what’s really happening when we drink? Is it just the alcohol talking, or are we actually becoming a different person?
As it turns out, it’s a little bit of both. Alcohol does have a profound effect on the brain, which can lead to changes in behavior. However, it’s also important to remember that we are the ones in control of our actions, even when we’ve been drinking.
In some cases, the change in your personality when drinking may not be dramatic enough to lead to a traumatic event. However, your loved one may still notice the change, and it can affect your relationship with them, especially in the case of a significant other. When your significant other doesn’t recognize the person they love, relationship problems are inevitable.
2. Alcohol Makes You Unavailable
All relationships require quality time spent together doing things you both enjoy. Unfortunately, for people who use alcohol, this can become problematic. When you have an addiction to alcohol, alcohol becomes the most important thing in your life. When you devote all your time to alcohol, you won’t have time for your loved ones.
For example, you may be interested only in activities that involve alcohol, such as parties or trips to the bar. For friends and family members that don’t enjoy these activities, this makes you completely unavailable. Likewise, if you’re often intoxicated or passed out, you aren’t spending quality time with the people you love. The loss of time spent together can cause you to grow apart, thus harming your relationships more and more as time goes on.
3. Alcohol Makes You Secretive
For any type of relationship, open and honest communication is essential. Unfortunately, for many people with an addiction to alcohol, secrets become a way of life. In order to hide your addiction from your loved ones, you may lie or keep things to yourself frequently. Even if your loved ones aren’t sure why you’re hiding things, they are sure to notice your secretive behavior.
As the secrets and lies continue to build up, relationships can grow strained. It’s possible relationships can end when your loved one finally discovers your secretive behavior. If your significant other discovers you’ve been hiding your drinking, along with all its consequences, they may decide that the relationship is too broken to be salvaged.
4. Alcohol Incites Too Many Arguments
Alcohol is sure to lead to arguments. Your loved ones may:
- Be worried about your mental and physical health
- Feel that you’re putting yourself and others in danger
- Feel like you’re choosing alcohol over your relationships with them
Regardless of the reasoning behind the arguments, these encounters become destructive as they continue. In many cases, arguments about alcohol develop into arguments about deeper issues, leading to breakdowns and ongoing problems in your relationship.
The Bluffs can Help
These are just a few of the ways alcohol can destroy your most important relationships with others. If you think you may have a problem with alcohol, the time to seek alcohol addiction treatment is now. The sooner you get the treatment you need, the sooner you can begin rebuilding any relationships that have been damaged.
Please contact The Bluffs today at 850.374.5331 to learn more about enrolling in our inpatient treatment program.
