PeoplesProblems Logo

5 reasons why you should leave alcohol out of your relationship

Author: Jennifer Alston
Published: Jan 14 2014

Even the best relationships require effort, attention and adjustments on a regular basis. It takes intention and action to keep a relationship alive so it meets the needs of both people involved. When you add alcohol or another substance into the mix, things can become difficult, or worse – irreparable. Below are five reasons to consider why you should keep alcohol out of your relationship.

Leaving alcohol out of your relationship

1. Alcohol Causes Arguments

All too often, we see otherwise happy couples arguing because one of them had too much to drink. Alcohol is a depressant, which means that it alters your perceptions and emotions, often leading to arguments with the people you love. If you are already upset about something, when you drink, it seems worse. If you are already angry about something, drinking heightens that emotion as well. When you take it out on your partner, that’s when you say, or even do things – like becoming violent – that you wouldn’t normally say or do when you are sober.

2. Alcohol Causes DUIs and Accidents

Adding the element of a criminal record to your relationship creates another challenging layer, and that is exactly what happens when you or your partner drink and drive and are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). According to Steinger Iscoe and Greene, many accidents involve negligence or reckless driving.

You could both suffer the negative consequences of being involved in a car accident and/or causing damage to people or property. These circumstances can put a strain on any relationship, especially because they can be prevented.

3. Alcohol Causes Health Issues

Regularly overindulging in alcohol can cause serious health issues, and that, too, can make a relationship harder than it has to be. If you are the one caring for an alcoholic spouse, for example, you may feel resentment, frustration and even anger that you are no longer able to do things together as a couple because your partner is too ill. The effects of alcohol are cumulative, and over time, if left unchecked or untreated, you will both suffer the consequences of poor health.

4. Alcohol Causes Problems in Your Sex Life

Contrary to popular belief, too much alcohol actually decreases your sex drive and sexual sensitivity. Women may find it more difficult to experience orgasm when intoxicated and men can have difficulty getting and maintaining an erection. Additionally, if you plan to have children, prolonged effects of alcohol could lead to fertility issues.

5. Alcohol Affects Your Parenting Abilities

Children learn through example, and if one parent is regularly intoxicated or hung over after a night of drinking in excess, you are teaching your children that this type of behavior is acceptable. Even worse, when one of you drinks too much, it may cause your partner to get upset with you because you are not able to meet your parental responsibilities and your partner will have to pick up the slack. Furthermore, arguing in front of the kids about alcohol can put a strain on everyone in the household.

Enjoying a drink with your partner during dinner is one thing, but consuming an entire bottle could lead you both down a difficult road. Talk about your concerns when you are both sober and create a plan for keeping you and your family involved in positive experiences and activities like hiking together, learning a new language, having a family game night, or anything else that brings you closer to each other on a regular basis.

Jennifer Alston knows the dangers of mixing alcohol and relationships. Not only can it cause a strain on the relationship, it can cause permanent damage also. By searching Steinger, Iscoe and Greene she became aware of the severity of alcohol reactions.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidnoah/4979660003/

This article is published on the basis that the supplied content is the original work of the author / provider. If you feel that copyright has been infringed, please contact the site administrator.

B-2