Al-Anon doesn’t always save marriages

On behalf of Johnson, Sclafani & Moriarty, Attorneys at Law posted in High Asset Divorce on Wednesday, June 28, 2017.

A spouse’s addiction to drugs and/or alcohol has destroyed many marriages. Sometimes people don’t even realize that they are married to an alcoholic or addict at first.

Whether your spouse has become a recovering alcoholic or addict, or is still battling the addiction, spouses and other family members often turn to Al-Anon to help them cope as a co-dependent of an alcoholic or addict.

For some people who seek help in dealing with an alcoholic/addict spouse, the experience leads them to realize that they are unable to change their spouse’s behavior unless that spouse commits to changing on his/her own.

Being married to an alcoholic or addict often means dealing with emotional, verbal and physical abuse. Too often, like many abuse victims, they blame themselves not only for the abuse, but for their spouse’s addiction(s).

Al-Anon isn’t necessarily meant to be a marriage saver. As stated on its website, “The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope, in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness, and that changed attitudes can aid recovery.”

If you leave a spouse who is still drinking excessively and/or addicted to drugs, one of your primary concerns may be limiting the access that he or she has to your children for their own good, while still allowing that parent to maintain a relationship with the kids. Your Massachusetts family law attorney can help you work toward a parenting plan that is in the best interests of your children.

Source: verywell.com, “Sometimes Al-Anon Members Choose Divorce,” Donna Thompson, accessed June 28, 2017