
Drinking too much can be a lonely activity, especially if you are trying to hide your drinking from family and friends. You may be hiding bottles of alcohol in the garage or your car. You may even sneak out at night to go to a bar just to get alcohol in your system.
The problem is that even though you may feel lonely, stressed, and ill because of your alcohol dependency, your family and friends are not oblivious. Those who love you know that something is wrong, even if they are not yet aware that it is alcohol.
Even if you are the CEO of a big company and you tell your family you are working late or going to work early several times a week, eventually, they will know something is wrong.
Moreover, the toll that alcohol addiction and all the secrets and lies that go with it takes on your life will eventually spill over to your loved ones as well. They, too, will become stressed and worried every time you leave the house, especially if they realize that you have an alcohol addiction.
If you still believe that your problem is not your loved one’s problem, keep reading to discover how your addiction can and will destroy your family.
1. Emotional Disconnection
You may not realize it, but one of the most common effects of alcohol addiction is emotional disconnection. This means you are no longer engaged with your family. You hardly know what is happening in the lives of your spouse and children.
When this happens, your children may act out because they know something is wrong. Your spouse will feel neglected, and your relationship with them will become strained.
Fortunately, you do not have to let things get to this point. If you are struggling to hold things together at home or work because of your alcohol dependency, HARP (Hills & Ranges Private) can help.
HARP is a rehabilitation centre that focuses on holistic healing for those battling an alcohol addiction.
Some of HARP’s patients, including CEOs and business owners, have sought help at our facility because they were becoming disconnected from their families. Getting the treatment they needed, including family therapy, helped them rebuild their family life.
2. Creating a Toxic Environment
Alcohol addiction is a chronic disease and an unpredictable one at that. If you keep drinking, you create a volatile atmosphere in your house. There will always be tension and arguments, mostly stemming from your mood swings or absence. If your home was once a sanctuary, it will now just be filled with stress.
The worst part is that your children might blame themselves for the tension between you and your spouse or partner. Children often internalize stress, which can harm them for a long time.
The team at HARP encounters situations like these every day. They engage with patients who tell them how they would snap their children over small things. Eventually, their spouses had to point out that their kids were too afraid to talk to them. In many cases, this is what motivates people to get help.
The effects of alcohol can leave lasting scars. If you are already at odds with your spouse and kids, do not hesitate to take the first step to get help.
3. Financial Strain
You may also already be dealing with financial strain. If you have been hiding your drinking from your loved ones, you likely spend much money on alcohol because no one else knows about it.
Even if you have a well-paying job or hold a high position, continuously spending money on alcohol will eventually cause you financial problems.
A couple of patients at HARP were in financial difficulties before they could realize what was happening. Some were earning seven-figure salaries but were neglecting their investments and budgets because of their drinking. It was a true wake-up call when their spouses figured out something was wrong.
4. Trauma
Your children observe everything you do. If they see you in an intoxicated state and arguing with your spouse, it can skew their perception of what a healthy relationship is.
Seeing arguments and emotional abuse can cause your children to normalize dysfunction. This will affect their future relationships, which is not fair to them.
Addressing addiction at a facility like HARP is not only about breaking the cycle for yourself. It is about helping children grow up with better, healthier examples of love and respect.
5. Breaking Trust
Trust is not only the foundation of a relationship but also of a family. If you do not address your addiction, it will erode the trust within your family.
Your addiction will continuously cause you to break promises. It will encourage you to be dishonest and negligent. This, in turn, will lead your loved ones to question your love for them and your reliability.
Several HARP patients have described how their addictions have impacted their marriages and their families. Some detailed how their spouses refused to believe anything they said. This was because the patient would promise to quit drinking only to relapse days later.
At HARP, these patients learned how to address the root causes of their addiction, helping them heal. When they returned home, they had enough resources and support to keep them sober.
This meant they could start working on rebuilding trust in their families.
How HARP Can Help You Rebuild Your Life
HARP works with patients from all walks of life. This includes CEOs, executives, and business owners. Our clinical team knows and understands the challenges professionals face when struggling with alcohol addiction.
This is why we offer tailored programs for each patient. Personalized treatments help address specific pressure points and weaknesses that make addiction worse.
HARP also offers family support programs. As mentioned above, the effects of alcohol addiction affect entire families. HARP’s support programs allow families to rebuild trust and their relationships.
Moreover, HARP provides more than just science-based treatments. The facility provides access to mindfulness sessions, meditation therapy, art and music therapy, and more. Each patient is also encouraged to enjoy as much outdoor time as possible, considering that all HARP facilities are in a natural, discreet environment.
If you are struggling with alcohol addiction, recovery is possible. When you’re ready to take that first step and get help, schedule a call with a family support specialist at HARP today.