Im new here and my boyfriend is an alcoholic. I need help
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Greenville Sc
Posts: 1
Im new here and my boyfriend is an alcoholic. I need help
I have been with him for 3 years off and on 1 year of being together continuous with no breakups. He is an alcoholic and it is affecting our relationship. He cant get a job due to having a felony so he babysits my child while i work. He would get drunk while watching her and pass out. He wont admit that he has a problem. We talked about it and he just acts like its not a problem. At first he agreed to cut back to drinking only twice a week. That worked for a little while and then he went back to drinking daily. Then he promised he wouldnt drink for a week. Broke that promise. So then we had an agreement he wouldnt drink while i was at work. The last time i was at work and i got a text saying that my daughter was at the neighbors house. I came home and he had the house destroyed and the door barricaded shut. Passed out on the couch drunk. That was the last straw. I tried to kick him out and he wont leave he says he loves us too much to leave. So he promised he would stop drinking completely. He stopped for two weeks. Today he got drunk again. This time with our neighbors and started fighting with them. He knows he screwed up and i have to do something. I just dont know what to do. I love him my daughter adores him but i cant stand for her to see him drunk and us fighting. Shes only four years old and she shouldnt have to witness him and us doing that. I just cant go through this anymore but i really do not know what to do. Please if anyone has some advice i need it desperately. HOw can i make him realize that he needs to get help?? He doesnt understand why it was never a problem before and now it is. I used to drink and still do every maybe 3-4 months. I am trying to better myself and my family. I work and go to school and i cant get him to understand.
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Australia
Posts: 15
Hi Kristi255, sorry you are going through this but you're in the right place. I am going through a similar experience, but have been in denial for years....the most helpful advice I have been given is to go to al anon as you cannot control the drinker.
I tried everything: telling him to stop, threatening to leave, drinking with him and I have only realised recently that they will give up when they want to.
Sorry that's about all I can say at the moment....I have just been to my first al anon meeting last week and I will continue to go each week as I need to help myself first
Is there anyone else who can look after your daughter??
I tried everything: telling him to stop, threatening to leave, drinking with him and I have only realised recently that they will give up when they want to.
Sorry that's about all I can say at the moment....I have just been to my first al anon meeting last week and I will continue to go each week as I need to help myself first
Is there anyone else who can look after your daughter??
Hello Kristi,
I know you're in a hard place now. Take a look at this forum:
Friends and Family of Alcoholics - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information
It has a lot of people in the same basic situation as you sharing their experience.
I know you're in a hard place now. Take a look at this forum:
Friends and Family of Alcoholics - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information
It has a lot of people in the same basic situation as you sharing their experience.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 453
Hi Kristi,
I really feel for you, it sounds like a very tough situation. There is nothing we can do to change people, they have to want to change. It sounds like you have given him many chances (Perhaps even too many) Firstly I would make sure he is not alone with your child anymore. Secondly, if you tried to get him to leave your house and he would not, this is obviously a much more serious issue. Do you have any family you can stay with? Have you contacted any of the Women's groups or Shelters? You should not jeopardize you or your daughters safety on a hope or wish that this guy get's his act together (which is does not sound like he is willing to do) Based on your description of this guy, it sounds like he needs serious in-patient rehab and daily or weekly therapy. Perhaps one day he will decide to get the help he needs, but in the meantime you need to do what is right for you and your Daughter, and based on what you wrote, I would have to say staying away from him is probably the best course of action.
Some places where you can find more prompt assistance.
Safe Harbor, Inc. :: A Safe Home, When Home Isn't Safe
Lots of local resources are available here. http://www.scdhec.gov/administration.../ML-017048.pdf
Good Support can be found at a Al Anon meetingWelcome to Al-Anon Family Groups
I really feel for you, it sounds like a very tough situation. There is nothing we can do to change people, they have to want to change. It sounds like you have given him many chances (Perhaps even too many) Firstly I would make sure he is not alone with your child anymore. Secondly, if you tried to get him to leave your house and he would not, this is obviously a much more serious issue. Do you have any family you can stay with? Have you contacted any of the Women's groups or Shelters? You should not jeopardize you or your daughters safety on a hope or wish that this guy get's his act together (which is does not sound like he is willing to do) Based on your description of this guy, it sounds like he needs serious in-patient rehab and daily or weekly therapy. Perhaps one day he will decide to get the help he needs, but in the meantime you need to do what is right for you and your Daughter, and based on what you wrote, I would have to say staying away from him is probably the best course of action.
Some places where you can find more prompt assistance.
Safe Harbor, Inc. :: A Safe Home, When Home Isn't Safe
Lots of local resources are available here. http://www.scdhec.gov/administration.../ML-017048.pdf
Good Support can be found at a Al Anon meetingWelcome to Al-Anon Family Groups
Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 221
I have been with him for 3 years off and on 1 year of being together continuous with no breakups. He is an alcoholic and it is affecting our relationship. He cant get a job due to having a felony so he babysits my child while i work. He would get drunk while watching her and pass out. He wont admit that he has a problem. We talked about it and he just acts like its not a problem. At first he agreed to cut back to drinking only twice a week. That worked for a little while and then he went back to drinking daily. Then he promised he wouldnt drink for a week. Broke that promise. So then we had an agreement he wouldnt drink while i was at work. The last time i was at work and i got a text saying that my daughter was at the neighbors house. I came home and he had the house destroyed and the door barricaded shut. Passed out on the couch drunk. That was the last straw. I tried to kick him out and he wont leave he says he loves us too much to leave. So he promised he would stop drinking completely. He stopped for two weeks. Today he got drunk again. This time with our neighbors and started fighting with them. He knows he screwed up and i have to do something. I just dont know what to do. I love him my daughter adores him but i cant stand for her to see him drunk and us fighting. Shes only four years old and she shouldnt have to witness him and us doing that. I just cant go through this anymore but i really do not know what to do. Please if anyone has some advice i need it desperately. HOw can i make him realize that he needs to get help?? He doesnt understand why it was never a problem before and now it is. I used to drink and still do every maybe 3-4 months. I am trying to better myself and my family. I work and go to school and i cant get him to understand.
Welcome to the SR family!
I'm glad you are here, but sorry for the reason that brought you here. This is a wonderful resource of support and information.
There is a section of the SR family devoted to the support of Friends & Family members of Alcoholics. You would be welcomed there by members dealing with similar situations.
When I first arrived at the Friends and Family Section, I learned about the 3 C's of my husband's alcoholism:
I did not Cause it
I can not Control it
I will not Cure it
It took me some time to accept that concept. I was certain I had the power to change him. I didn't.
Here is a link to a SR post that contains steps that helped me while I was living with active alcoholism:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...l-problem.html
I'm glad you are here, but sorry for the reason that brought you here. This is a wonderful resource of support and information.
There is a section of the SR family devoted to the support of Friends & Family members of Alcoholics. You would be welcomed there by members dealing with similar situations.
When I first arrived at the Friends and Family Section, I learned about the 3 C's of my husband's alcoholism:
I did not Cause it
I can not Control it
I will not Cure it
It took me some time to accept that concept. I was certain I had the power to change him. I didn't.
Here is a link to a SR post that contains steps that helped me while I was living with active alcoholism:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...l-problem.html
Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 507
The last time i was at work and i got a text saying that my daughter was at the neighbors house. I came home and he had the house destroyed and the door barricaded shut. Passed out on the couch drunk. That was the last straw. I tried to kick him out and he wont leave he says he loves us too much to leave. So he promised he would stop drinking completely. He stopped for two weeks. Today he got drunk again. This time with our neighbors and started fighting with them. He knows he screwed up and i have to do something. I just dont know what to do. I love him my daughter adores him but i cant stand for her to see him drunk and us fighting. Shes only four years old and she shouldnt have to witness him and us doing that. I just cant go through this anymore but i really do not know what to do. Please if anyone has some advice i need it desperately. HOw can i make him realize that he needs to get help?? He doesnt understand why it was never a problem before and now it is. I used to drink and still do every maybe 3-4 months. I am trying to better myself and my family. I work and go to school and i cant get him to understand.
I realize you want him to get better but, he needs to get better somewhere else. He is putting your daughter in danger every single day. Every. Single. Day. You can't make him realize he needs help. You can't make him realize he needs to change. Only when he sees it for himself will he take any lasting steps to address the problem. Until then you're looking at empty promises. Until then you cannot trust him.
I don't want to sound so harsh but it's just... true. I'm so sorry you're going through something like this. I can't imagine. I know I've put my loved one through some crap though and I know any action that was taken was for good reason. Do you have friends and family to lean on? Al Anon and the Friends and Family forum here on SR are good resources. You'll find other great resources along the way, too.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,163
Kristi,
If it were me I would kick his a$$ to the curb. The money you are spending to feed, house, and purchase booze can certainly be put towards a SAFE, nurturing, learning, childcare environment. Leaving a 4 year old with a passed out drunk has disaster written all over it.
Saying this without malice, but it's time to remove the rose colored glasses and look at the situation for what it truly is. He is an out of work, convicted felon, an out of control alkie, and truly has nothing to offer you and your child. I certainly believe you are worthy of more.
This is not a healthy situation for you or your child. Alcoholism is a progressive disease, without HIM choosing recovery, it's only going to get worse. Save YOURSELF and your CHILD.
If it were me I would kick his a$$ to the curb. The money you are spending to feed, house, and purchase booze can certainly be put towards a SAFE, nurturing, learning, childcare environment. Leaving a 4 year old with a passed out drunk has disaster written all over it.
Saying this without malice, but it's time to remove the rose colored glasses and look at the situation for what it truly is. He is an out of work, convicted felon, an out of control alkie, and truly has nothing to offer you and your child. I certainly believe you are worthy of more.
This is not a healthy situation for you or your child. Alcoholism is a progressive disease, without HIM choosing recovery, it's only going to get worse. Save YOURSELF and your CHILD.
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