There is a broad range of motivations for alcohol abuse in individuals. One may drink for various reasons, including recreation, stress relief, and pain management.Chronic alcohol abuse can lead to damaged relationships. It may be hard to see how your alcohol abuse is affecting your relationship. Here are some ways in which alcohol abuse affects relationships, and how to improve your relationships.
Ways That Alcohol Abuse Affects Relationships
- Alcohol leads to mistrust.
Secrecy is common among alcoholics, even the highly-functioning alcoholics. Individuals struggling with alcohol use disorder may act secretively for various reasons, including
- Guilt.
- Fear of being judged for their illness.
- Shame.
Due to this, they start keeping secrets from their partner about where they go, whom they hang out with, and what they do all day. Keeping secrets from a partner may seem like a reasonable way to protect yourself initially, but it usually leads to outright mistrust.
It’s common for a person’s lies to get more complex as their alcoholism worsens. This may lead to mistrust among loved ones. Repairing lost trust is difficult but important to a functioning and healthy partnership.
- Alcohol and intimacy
Intimacy is a cornerstone of every successful relationship. Alcoholism has far-reaching consequences on interpersonal connections. Chronic alcohol abuse may have negative effects on interpersonal bonds. Typically, problems in intimate relationships are the first to surface. A person’s capacity to trust, feel safe, express affection, be committed, have similar feelings, and be respected are all factors that alcoholism may negatively impact in a romantic relationship.
Alcoholism can also lead to co-dependence, as well as verbal and physical aggression. In addition, alcoholism also reduces the urge to have sex.
- Alcoholism causes compulsive behaviors
Those with alcohol use disorder have the same compulsive behaviors as heroin addicts. Someone with a dependency on alcohol will develop unhealthy compulsive behaviors. Because of the distorted thinking and compulsive behaviors due to alcoholism, the alcoholic and those around them are both at risk. Another symptom is a lack of enthusiasm for things and people that used to bring them delight when they were sober.
- Alcoholism causes alterations in personality
People’s personalities might undergo dramatic changes due to chronic alcoholism. Alcohol abuse has been shown to alter one’s normal personality, replacing it with one that is more self-centered, aggressive, and egocentric. Alcohol impairs synaptic transmission and causes physiological changes in the body by influencing serotonin levels, which are responsible for relaying emotional states inside the brain. These physiological shifts result in irrational behavior.
Get Quality Treatment for Your Alcohol Addiction at Mallard Lake Center in Houston
Please call Mallard Lake Detox Center in Houston, Texas, if you or a loved one is facing the terrible effects of alcohol addiction and needs help finding a solution. Mallard Center is dedicated to assisting those with alcoholism through the detox process and providing them with the tools they need to lead a successful, alcohol-free life. Our admissions staff at Mallard Lake Center can also assist you in locating an alcohol addiction treatment center if you don’t live in Texas.
