Codependency and a Partner's Alcoholism

When the bottle in the house matters more than you do.

A partner's alcoholism is one of the most common causes of codependency. But rarely does anyone call it that. Usually people say, "I'm just worried." "I'm helping." "I'm not abandoning someone in trouble." But the truth is, you're living in a system where alcohol runs everything. And you've become part of that system.

Codependency with an alcoholic partner means you've stopped living your own life and started living around their drinking. You count the bottles. You check their breath. You cancel plans because you don't know what state they'll be in. You apologize to people on their behalf. You hide the problem from everyone, including yourself.