Expert: Druideck - 9/21/2009

Question
my husband stopped drinking about 6 month ago due to problems with law. he did very well in the beginning. but couple of moth later he broke down and bought a bottle. (luckily i came in when he opened it)
then left work.  he still cant find a good job and i found 2 bottles of vodka in the house recently (he used to drink a bottle or two of vodka a day=(
he says he have hidden them during his drinking episode. i was upset but i could not say if he lied or not. and also recently i started finding Benedril pills all over the house. his reply to that was that it helped him to get over the addiction and he just forgot about them.
so i don't know if he still drinks  and mix it with benedril for better effect or is he telling the truth

Answer
Tasha,

Alcoholism is an illness that requires
a recovery program to overcome.
It sounds as if your husband had
a very serious drinking problem
and has not really taken any
real steps to get help.

Addiction is not addiction if you
just quit. The reason it is called
addiction is that you can not
quit using only your own willpower.

I would say if he is not attending
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings
on a regular basis he will continue
to drink at some point. He may keep
trying but he will not succeed
against an addiction to alcohol
on his own.

Drinkers often switch to vodka to try
to avoid the smell of alcohol on
their breath. This helps them hide
it.

It will only be a matter of time
before you will know he is drinking.
I am sure his behaviour will change
so that you can tell.

Just let him go and do as he must.
When he is ready to admit he needs
help then you can suggest AA to him.

If he acts normally maybe he has stopped
for the time being but I wouldn't
count on it in the long term as
he really has to seek counselling,
treatment and AA to be successful.

Quitting drink is very difficult
and he may see that he has to stop
whatever it takes at some point.

Take care!