Alcoholism is a gripping addiction that has severe consequences on a person’s life. It is capable of ruining jobs, reputations, health and livelihoods. Life with an alcoholic is not easy for anyone. Despite knowing that alcoholism is not a person’s fault, expecting them to take responsibility for it can be a long bumpy road, that does not necessarily end happily all the time. Those who have lived with an alcoholic know how trying it is and how desperate it can make a person feel. A few of the common problems of living with an alcoholic include:

Frequent alcohol consumption causes mood instability, especially in people who have a mood disorder, mental disorder or personality disorder, which many alcoholics have. This may range from crying and irritability all the way to physical violence. Obviously, this has tremendous negative influences on the person’s mental health who lives with the alcoholic.

Alcoholics want to escape completely into their addiction, which drinking enables them to do. As a result, alcoholics become largely unavailable to their relationships and responsibilities. People cannot be functional and participate in escapism at the same time. This leaves too heavy a burden on the person living with the alcoholic to be responsible in their place.

Alcohol costs money. In fact, alcoholism is a very expensive habit. A majority of alcoholics end up with financial issues because they will invest financially into their addiction at all costs. This is obviously a strain on the person they are living with because they are forced to compensate for the alcoholics financial inadequacies.

It is only a matter of time before an alcoholic will develop health issues. Excessive alcohol is toxic to a person’s system and extended saturation in alcohol will make a body under perform and become diseased. Minor health problems caused by alcoholism included weight gain, lethargy, insulin problems and digestion issues. Major health problems caused by alcoholism include diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver and heart attack.