Here is a question that can help many people. It has to do with what to do with an alcoholic spouse. Please give insight to others by answering the following question:
HOW CAN I BEST DEAL WITH, AND HELP MY ALCOHOLIC SPOUSE?
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Filed under: Mental and Physical Health Question of the Month
(USA) Join Al-anon.
(USA) I had that exact question several years back and I certainly empathize with the insanity and chaos of living with an alcoholic. One day, at the end of my wits, I got up the courage to call all his relatives and friends and started a prayer chain on the phone. I called everyone that I had “cried” too about “his” problem and asked that they would pray with me over the phone for divine intervention and healing. The very next day my husband told me he wanted to go to a Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting and would I go with him. I did, and I might mention he did not want anything to do with “God”… his childhood god was a punishing god. Now 4 years later, by the grace of God, he is sober, loves Jesus, has a loving God and helps many alcoholics achieve sobriety. God bless and my prayers are with you.
(SOUTH AFRICA) I want to agree with Debra above. We never knew where we were standing with m husband, who was then in the police force. Was he coming home sober or drunk on a given Friday evening after work?
I got a prayer chain together. We were all praying that the Holy Spirit would keep him awake and speak to him in his sleep. For most of ten years he could not sleep properly, but never mentioned anything to any of us. Now 10 years later on, sober in a wink of an eye .. obviously by the grace of God … he is sober and we are now marriage counselors.
The reason why the above person is an alcoholic most probably stems from his childhood and he needs to deal with those issues. But it is difficult for a man to acknowledge that he has problems. Pray…. pray …. pray … stay on your knees. IT WORKS. God Bless
(UNITED STATES) Where are you marriage counselors at? I need one.
(NIGERIA) I think the best thing to do is to call the person (husband) and sit him down letting him understand the effect of alcohol in the body and what Christ said about it.
If after the discussion the person promised to change and after a while went back to his old self… the next thing to do is to put the person in "prayers" at every point in time that one is praying. And to help further, the issue can be discussed with the spirit filled brethren in the church who can help you in their closets when praying. And lastly, a prayer group can also be formed “as iron sharpeneth iron”. This I believe will work out. God Bless you real good… Amen
(UGANDA) I think that you should consistently encourage him to stop drinking in a loving manner and at the same time pray for him without ceasing. Prayer does so many wonders yet the most difficult. But be encouraged to pray. God bless you big time!
(USA) YOU CANNOT CHANGE ANYONE-they have to choose to do it! Read this book several times called “CODEPENDENT NO MORE: HOW TO STOP CONTROLLING OTHERS AND START CARING FOR YOURSELF ” BY MELODY BEATTIE.
(SOUTH AFRICA) Thank you for all comments listed. I am going through it with my husband who drinks. His reasons are because he doesn’t like the work he is doing (police officer). He hurts people at work and all the bad things that he does always come back to haunt him. My husband is a child of God and he never used to be like this. How can one take off that kind of pressure and enjoy life? Every time he drinks, I argue with with him about it and he feels like I am judging. How do I keep on respecting while he dwells on sin? I am praying for my husband yet it’s hard.
(USA) It’s so hard to know how many women are going through the same as me. Very sad that a man of God will let himself fall into the enemy’s traps. But I claim God’s promises that He will bring back that which belong to Him. So help me to pray for my husband and also my kids (adults, 33 to 24 years old, 3 girls, 1 boy). I love the Lord and continue active in church. I will start a prayer chain.