The Challenge of Communicating with an Alcoholic Spouse

Alcoholism can take its toll on many aspects of life. Healthy communication is often one of the first casualties of this family disease, not only for alcoholics, but for everyone around them.

One of Al-Anon’s first books, The Dilemma of the Alcoholic Marriage (B-4), addresses the distressing and difficult situations that are part of marriage to an alcoholic. Although it was first published in 1967 and reflects the time in which it was written, the book remains a great resource of pertinent, useful tools for anyone living with an alcoholic spouse.

The fourth chapter, “What Manner of Communications Are These?” discusses in depth the challenges of communicating in an alcoholic marriage. Although this chapter refers to the spouse of an alcoholic as the wife, it is understood that most of the material applies to the husband of an alcoholic as well.

“When my husband was drinking, we used to do an awful lot of fighting. I realize now that I was often the one who started it when he came home drunk. The result was always the same. I’d end up boiling mad and helpless to do anything about it.”
FromThe Dilemma of the Alcoholic Marriage (B-29), page 24

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