The partners of alcoholics often have serious social and psychological problems. 
However, some of their behaviours may result in persistent alcohol related 
problems in their spouse or husband, or lead to failure of treatment programmes. 
Many physicians emphasize the importance of this by including the partner in 
family therapy, or by seeing the partner with or without the patient, for 
counselling to promote changes in the behaviour which encourages their partner's 
alcoholism. 
The partner of the alcoholic(1) 
Many partners of alcoholics suffer anxiety, insomnia, tension and depression. 
They often feel a strong sense of guilt or anger and have a desire for 
vengeance, which they may take out on their children or colleagues at work. 
The attitude of the partner (1-4) 
In the therapeutic protocol, the partner may be as much a help as an obstacle. 
There is the supporting partner, on whom the alcoholic and the alcohol abuse 
specialist can count to help free the alcoholic from dependence, and the inducer 
partner, who in various ways and for various reasons, encourages the alcoholism 
of the other. 
Often, the partner acts in such a way that the drinker is practically prevented 
from seeing the problems resulting from their alcohol consumption. For example, 
when the partner screens the alcoholic by making false excuses to employers for 
absenteeism, by paying off debts, or by being more attentive when the spouse is 
drunk than when they are sober. Only when the partner ceases to act as a 
protector can the drinker confront the real situation. 
Another common situation is where the partner does not understand the drinker, 
gives constant reproaches, excessive surveillance, restrictions, threats, which 
in the majority of cases lead the alcoholic to drink more. 
For reasons which are not clearly established, it seems that many alcoholic 
girls marry an alcoholic. These women often behave in such a way as to encourage 
continuation of their partner's alcohol abuse by making excuses and tolerating 
the situation. 
With the help of alcohol abuse specialists, partners of alcoholics can overcome 
their anxieties and stop acting in a way which encourages their partner to 
drink. 
The partner's role in successful withdrawal (1-3) 
Many studies have emphasised the importance of the support of the partner and 
family. Encouragement given by the partner plays a key role in the withdrawal 
process, during which progress is too often accepted without comment, whilst 
failure is severely condemned. It is common for an alcoholic to stop drinking or 
reduce consumption because of changes occurring in the family - behaviour is 
modified. Treatment has a greater chance of success in women if there is support 
from their spouse. However in almost half of cases, alcoholic women have a 
partner who also has an alcohol related problem, ensuring a close correlation 
between the behaviour of them both. 
References 
Anderson P. La gestion des problèmes liés à l'alcool. Organisation mondiale 
    de la Santé, Publications régionales, Série européenne, N°32. 
    Aubrion J - Essai sur le rôle de certains conjoints dans l'induction du 
    comportement alcoolique. Alcool ou Santé , 3, 8-12. 1993. 
    Forrest G. The Diagnosis and Treatment of Alcoholism. Marital and Family 
    Therapy, pp168-211. 1994. 
    Brown T.G et coll. The role of spouses of substance abusers in treatment: 
    gender differences. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 27(3), 1995, pp223-229. 
    1995. 
    


 
 


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