I was a teacher when I was married to XAH. I experienced lots of stress. My hair would fall out, I slowly lost 30 lbs., I would grind my teeth, I couldn't sleep.......I blamed all my stress on teaching which was very stressful. I was teaching in an inner city school with very few breaks, lots of bullys ,fights, irate parents, unsupportive administrators, huge class sizes etc.....At my 30 years of (required) teaching I retired. I still kept all the stress symptoms. I realized it was the marriage. I could change the job situation. I couldn't change the alcoholic. I drove 30 minutes to Alanon once a week. We lived way out in the sticks. I slowly started to see the real deal of my life and why I was stressed/unhealthy/crazy......I got a great sponser who led me to therapy, yoga, and meditation. After learning to focus on myself and educate myself on codependence I got better. I left the marriage after a couple of years of struggling trying to change him. Now post divorce 3 years I am doing well. I grew up in an alcoholic family. It looked "normal" to me. I still go to Alanon and am very involved in it. It is a process. SR helped alot too.