Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 8/14/2007

Question
Hi, I have a question about my husband. I think he has a drinking problem but of course he doesn't. He drinks 6 beers a day during the week and more on weekends. It doesn't affect his job, he's always sweet to me, but I can't get him to stop or even slow down. And he just drinks alone (I don't like to drink at all). He sits at home, watches TV and drinks...(boring for me!) Does he need help even though it's not affecting other aspects of his life? I tell him it's unhealthy and that's the only time I feel he is an alcoholic because he maintains that there's nothing wrong with the amount he drinks. I think it's too much. Plus he's always talking about losing weight, but doesn't want to hear about the >6000 empty calories/week he has in beer. He'd rather just cut back on eating than drinking. What can I do to get him to seek help?

Answer
Dear Sherry,

You are going through what so many wives of alcoholics are going through. Unless your husband is willing to do something about it, there is nothing that we can do.  Usually alcoholic are ready to accept treatment when their drinking lands them into a crisis situation, like losing their job, or their wives.

And even if they are motivated conventional treatment is not always successful.

The best way to help you to make you aware of what causes people to become alcoholic is by reading the following articles:

What is Hypoglycemia at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/what_is_hypo.html

The Serotonin Connection at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/serotonin_connection.html

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

“Why Alcoholics drink?” at
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/why_alcoholics_drink.html

If he is prepared to seek treatment I suggest that he sees a Nutritional doctor or a Clinical Nutritionist.

I hope you are able to resolve your problems.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman BA (Psych) Post Grad Dip Clin Nutr
Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search