A number of people have problems with alcohol or know someone who has been negatively affected by alcoholism. According to HelpGuide.org, alcoholism does not limit its effects to one type of race or class; instead it afflicts millions of families annually. The telltale sign that a person has alcoholism is whether or not he continues to consume the substance despite the negative effects his consumption has on his relationships, health and career, notes the Mayo Clinic.
Fatigue
When a spouse has to deal with everything her partner does not accomplish because he is too busy consuming alcohol and figuring out where he will get his next drink, it may cause her to become fatigued. A spouse who is an alcoholic is no longer be able to pick his children up at school or run errands because he is intoxicated most of the time. This leaves all the household and family responsibilities on the shoulders of the spouse who is not an alcoholic, thus, leaving her fatigued.
Loss of Transportation
An alcoholic may lose her ability to drive a car because she was caught by law enforcement drinking and driving on too many occasions; thus, her license was taken away. During this time period without a license, the alcoholic is dependent on her spouse to get her everywhere she needs to go, such as to and from work, to job interviews or to appointments. This takes up much of the spouse's free time or time that he could have spent completing tasks he needed to get done.
Emotional Problems
Dealing with alcoholism in a spouse can be a very trying and difficult task. According to HelpGuide.org, when a person is an alcoholic, his spouse may deal with feelings of shame, anger, fear and self-blame; these feelings might leave her feeling a constant shift in emotions that can be overwhelming. This can lead to the need for outside support from other family members or a support group.
Financial Strain
Alcoholism can leave a person unmotivated and unconcerned about the financial responsibilities she has to her husband and her family. This may leave the full financial burden, which was once split between two people, on the shoulders of one spouse. One person may not be able to pay for everything that two people were paying for prior to the onset of alcoholism, which can lead to overdue bills, calls from creditors and possibility even the loss of a home or car.
