Six years of sobriety end in shock and uncertainty

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Posted: April 05, 2012

DEAR ABBY: "Robert" and I met four years ago and fell head-over-heels in love. At the time, he was two years clean and sober and attending meetings. Due to his hectic work schedule, he stopped attending the meetings.

Robert prided himself on his sobriety, so imagine my shock when I found an empty liquor bottle buried in the trash and three more under the bed. I I didn't know what to say to him or how to react.

I told Robert I knew he was drinking again. He said he didn't want to discuss it, so I didn't push.

What am I supposed to do when the man I love has relapsed? I'm trying to be supportive, but I am clueless. Please help.

- Helpless

DEAR HELPLESS: The first thing to do is recognize that this is Robert's problem, and only he can fix it. If you plan to stay involved with him, understand that it is not unusual for someone with a substance abuse problem to fall off the wagon from time to time.

The next thing you should do, and this is important, is find your nearest chapter of Al-Anon. It's an organization that was started by the wife of an alcoholic, and its sole purpose is to help the family and friends of alcoholics. The toll-free phone number is 888-425-2666.

There will be meetings for you to attend so you can learn to avoid falling into the trap of trying to "save" or enable Robert, because for him to get better he must experience the consequences of going back to drinking. This is not easy to do with someone you care about, and you will need all of the support you can get. n

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