New here, old problem
Hi there-
I am here because of my husband, my high school sweetheart I've been with since age 15, almost 10 years.Obviously, he didn't drink back then, but he did demonstrate a serious lack of coping skills. He suffers from seasonal depression but was taught growing up that he was "fine." Alcoholism, depression, and anxiety run in his family. His uncle, and sister suffer like he does.
Long story short- my husbands drinking became his coping mechanism for stress and depression. It has caused him to have a dui, and to be unfaithful to me. He has gotten worlds better than what he was, and our relationship is very strong now. We still have a firm no 6 pack in the house rule (he'll drink them all in a few hours), but I find that problems happen when we visit our families. This time of year especially, booze is readily available, and his family thinks I'm an overreacting lunatic. But the truth of the matter is, when he has one, he can't stop. For example, at my parents house tonight he had 2 wine coolers. When we came home, he somehow managed to sneak to the package store without me noticing and bought and drank a whole bottle of jack daniels. He admitted it and told me where it was, but I am so saddened at his lack of restraint and self discipline. He truly suffers from sickness.
He is getting ready to deploy to Kuwait (which is a dry country, no alcohol) for 10 months. I am worried about his mental health during this time, and of course, his reaction to having alcohol readily available when he returns home.
So, my question is, how can I encourage healthy coping behaviors for stress and depression while he's home now? And, how can I avoid the holiday stupor?