Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 3/24/2010

Question
After a few years of dating, my husband and I were married 18 months ago.  Soon after, we began looking for a home to purchase and decided to get serious about it near our one year anniversary.  At the time, we had decided that we would start trying to get pregnant once the keys to our home were handed to us.  After we chose our new home and the paperwork began, so did the attempt to conceive a child.  After only four weeks we found out that I was pregnant.  We were absolutely ecstatic about the pregnancy and the new home.  I was eight weeks pregnant when we moved in.

After a few months my husband started drinking a lot.  He has always been a fan of drinking beer on the weekends, to celebrate an event or to simply recover from a bad day.  He began drinking (until he was completely intoxicated, not just one with dinner) more and more until his weekly average was at least 4-5 times.  He has also started smoking again, which he has not done in two years.  We have had a very big year and there has also been additional stress at his work but I am beginning to get worried.  He has made comment such as "the fun is over" referring to life after we are parents and how he will need to change his drinking at that time.  We talked A LOT about the decision to have a child and he was the one that made the final decision to start trying when we purchased a new home.  I'm trying not to nag or be upset with him for his drinking because I don't think it will help.  I don't know if this matters but we never fight and he is not an angry drunk but instead a mellow, friendly, social, happy guy.  

I'm seven months pregnant, tired and completely confused.  I don't know if my "let him make it through this without my constant nagging" way of thinking is supportive or enabling.

Thank you for your help.

Answer
Hi Brooke,

If drinking alcohol becomes an issue in your marriage it is usually serious. Because alcoholism can be a destroyer of families. If alcohol is used to relax and it becomes a habit we certainly have to suspect alcoholism. But to treat it, the person must want to give it up for some good reason. An alcoholic can theoretically treat himself by understanding the causes of addiction. I suggest that you and your husband read the following articles about addiction and then make up your mind whether to treat it it or not.

Why Alcoholics Drink? at
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/WAD.html

Alcoholism (Addiction) is a Treatable Disease at:
http://curezone.com/upload/PDF/Articles/jurplesman/alcoholism_treatable.pdf

Drug Addiction is a Nutritional Disorder at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/drug_addictions_nutritional_disorder.htm...

The first step in treatment is going on a hypoglycemic diet. If problems persist, it is best to consult a Nutritional Doctor, Clinical Nutritionist or a Nutritional Psychologist.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist
Hon. Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search
Skype: jurplesman