Originally Posted by
HateBooze 
Is this normal? What is normal? I no longer know, but it is darned hurtful at the very least.
(Yes he is drinking...I think he is cutting down to try to break off it again. Been to rehab unsuccessfully but won't agree to give up on quitting....makes my life hell.)
Welcome, and please read the stickies - material posted at the top of our forum. Lots of good information on addiction and codependency.
Normal is a subjective term; however, I have yet to find anything vaguely resembling "normal" in living with an addict. So, as to what is normal .... well, living with and being involved with an addict is kinda crazy. The addict gets crazy - or crazier - the longer the drinking goes on. People around the addict get crazy the longer they try to figure out what the addict is thinking, what motivates the addict, why the addict said or did something that is completely contrary to what was said or done the day before. On and on it goes.
What I'm getting from your post is that he is trying to control his drinking. He has no intention of quitting completely at this time. This is making you nuts. His behavior is driving you up a wall.
Just a few suggestions ... how about giving Al-Anon a try? Lots of in those meetings understand what you are going through because they have lived it themselves. If you decide Al-Anon is not for you, that's fine. I discovered, through counseling and Al-Anon, that my problems had very little to do with what my AH was doing and more to do with the mess inside of my own head. He owned his addiction, but I owned my own state of mind. He drove me nuts for a long time because I allowed him to.
Please keep posting. More folks will be along to respond to you. We care and want to lend you support.