If you or someone you love has an alcohol use problem and are concerned about the impact it might be having on family and friends, talk to your healthcare provider. Effective treatments are available, and your provider can advise on next steps. Your provider can prescribe medications that can help people stop drinking and help with symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. They can also recommend treatment programs that may help with detox and recovery. If we are a friend or family member of a person with an alcohol use disorder (AUD), we might be searching for ways to better understand our loved one’s behaviors. It can feel like a struggle not to internalize their hurtful actions, but the reality is that people with an alcohol problem may not fully understand the impact that their actions have on friends and family.

Alcohol and domestic violence

Drinking can take away the time and desire for sex and even lead to sexual dysfunction. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a common addiction, affecting nearly 15 million adults in the United States. While alcohol dependence can be devastating to one’s health, it can also impact a person’s relationships, including the most meaningful people in their life. One of the most intriguing findings of our study is the causal relationship between delayed AFB and ALB and extended LTL in females, which was only partially confounded by SES. These results align with the accelerated LTL shortening rate we observed after childbirth, which is further exacerbated post-menopause. An alternative explanation is that LTL shortening is driven by the stress imposed by such events on the body, aligning with literature that posits pregnancy as a significant accelerator of biological aging, measured per methylation [57].

• This can make children who grow up in such environments more susceptible to substance use and other mental health problems.
• Older adults — drinkers, nondrinkers, it doesn’t matter — are already at risk for hypertension.
• Learn up-to-date facts and statistics on alcohol consumption and its impact in the United States and globally.
• The impact of alcohol on relationships is widespread and can affect every single relationship a person is a part of.
• April Eldemire, LMFT, is a psychotherapist who specializes in marriage and couples issues, new-parenthood transitions and blended family dynamics.
• While you might think it selfish to distance yourself from a friend or family member, it’s essential to look out for your own well-being before you can help someone else.

How Alcohol Use Disorder Is Treated

• Alcohol problems can quickly damage relationships, though it’s often more challenging to determine whether you have one if you’re dealing with an addiction.
• Additionally, employees who binge drink or drink heavily are prone to absenteeism.
• In addition to affecting the liver, alcohol affects the brain, the heart, and both the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
• Research from 2019 explored the relationship between alcohol and violence.
• There are a number of limitations to the current study, which should be considered when interpreting these findings.
• Groups typically focus on helping acquaintances and loved ones understand that they are not responsible for the behavior and actions of a sufferer of alcoholism.

Your partner’s alcohol use can damage these aspects and cause you to lose trust in the relationship. Studies have shown that a good percentage of people who drink alcohol also smoke, which can raise blood pressure as well. Our study builds on this body of work by dissecting observational correlations between LTL and 142 traits into causes and consequences through a robust bidirectional MR causal framework (Fig. 1). Additionally, we used multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) to disentangle how does alcohol affect relationships the interplay between LTL and various traits, with a particular focus on the mediating role of LTL in longevity. Together, we identify traits influencing LTL, and how in turn the latter impacts the human phenome, contributing to a deeper understanding of telomere biology and its relation to health. Our study sheds light on the modulators, consequences, and the mediatory role of telomeres, portraying an intricate relationship between LTL, diseases, lifestyle, and socio-economic factors.

National Recovery Month

As the problem becomes more severe, people with the condition may withdraw from loved ones or lash out at those who try to help. After spending so much time focusing on and taking care of your spouse, kids, finances, and household, it is time to focus on yourself and your needs. Find a therapist to help you sort out what happened, heal some of your wounds, and get your life back on track while preparing for your spouse to come back and start a new life together. Spouses of alcoholics end up assuming much of the day-to-day responsibilities in their household. Those who enable have good intentions—they don’t want to see their spouse in trouble or hurting—so they step in and help minimize the alcoholic’s consequences or hurt feelings.

Inpatient or Outpatient Treatment

• There are many resources available to help you deal with the challenges alcoholism can bring to your relationship.
• Once your loved one is in rehab, you can work on rebuilding your relationship.
• Alcohol is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, contributing to approximately 178,000 deaths annually.
• Regardless of whether the person is high-functioning, alcohol addiction is a severe disease.