A person’s addiction can develop slowly. You may not have noticed the little signs at the time, but now you are looking back at your wife’s behavior and realizing she has a problem. 13 percent of American women have more than seven drinks a week – over the recommended healthy limit (1). Coping with a spouse who has an addiction is tough. While they may not like to listen to your concerns, and may upset you, it is important to remember that they need your love and support.
An intervention is a way of forcing your wife to face up to the true extent of her drug or alcohol problem. It is usually a last resort, and can be an emotionally draining experience. They are highly effective, with many people who have been in rehab claiming an intervention was the moment they accepted their addiction.
Does my wife need an intervention?
If you think your wife needs addiction treatment, an intervention is one way of convincing her to seek help. It may not be necessary, however. An intervention is only necessary if:
You or someone else close to your wife has tried raising the issue of her addiction in a one-to-one chat with no result
Your wife refuses to admit she has a problem, claiming she drinks or uses drugs a lot less than she does, or blaming other factors such as a hectic work life or home routine
Continues unchanged in her alcohol or drug abuse, despite knowing that it will upset you or cause arguments between you
These are all signs that your spouse has become dependent upon drink or drugs, and her need for them now takes priority over everything else. If you have not yet tried raising the issue of her drinking or drug taking with your partner, you should try this first. She may see that her habit has become an addiction, and agree to let you help support her through the process of finding treatment and getting sober.
If you have no other way of getting through to your spouse, then an intervention is your best option going forward.
Finding support for your wife’s intervention
An intervention requires the support of a small group of people who are close to your wife. You may want to include older or grown up children, as well as your wife’s friends and family. If she sees that all the people closest to her are equally concerned about her use of drugs or alcohol as you are, she is more likely to accept that she has a problem. Her close friends and family will probably have already expressed their concerns to you over your wife’s behavior, so you should already have some idea of who would be best to include in your intervention.
You don’t have to plan an intervention all on your own. There is plenty of advice on the internet covering how to organize an intervention, and programs such as Steps to Recovery have trained specialists who can help you with the entire process. We can even be part of your intervention to make sure it goes according to plan, and help to provide you all with professional support in convincing your wife of her problem. The fact that you have consulted a treatment center could help to show her just how serious her problem has become.
We are on hand to provide drug and alcohol treatment for your wife once she has agreed to seek help following the intervention. With the support of those taking part in the intervention, your wife can begin her journey towards sobriety.
1 – https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochurewomen/women.htm
