His excuse for drinking
I know that I shouldn't care why he drinks just that his drinking bothers me. But, I need to think this through too. He was in the Marines for 22 years. He was in the Gulf War. He keeps alluding to how if I had seen what he has seen and if I had to do what he had to do that I would drink too. He said it is his coping mechanism. He went through a year of counseling after retiring from the Marines. He is extremely patriotic and just lives for the Marines. I think he is miserable out of the corps.
How do I deal with this? I am sure he has had to do horrible things and seen even worse things. and I am sure war changes people. Compared to some of the Vietnam vets I have seen...he does pretty well. But I have never been around someone who drinks and it scares me. I have been drunk myself and I know how out of control I can get. I say things I don't mean. I do things I would never do sober. I hate to see his mind numb and slurring his words and stumbling. It saddens me.
But he claims this is his medication. He has tried medicine before with disastrous side effects (impotence) and he is just not willing to try that again. He said that he is sure htere will come a time when he gives up the drinking. He does pretty well with some minor drunks from time to time. But our whole life seems to revolve around beer. What restaurants we eat at. When we go to my parents (cause they don't serve beer), etc. He drinks a very large amount of beer some days. And he drinks and drives. I think his military career is an excuse. But I don't want to discount his service to our country. I appreciate it. He's a good man. But, why does this justify it??
ANyone else out there with this experience. So many military men seem to have issues with alcohol. Why is that??