Ask Amy: Even with sobriety, alcohol dominates marriage
Dear Amy: From the day we met, over 40 years ago, my wife and I have been social drinkers.
Get-togethers at weddings, holidays, concerts, sporting events, etc., have always featured alcohol.
While I can have a couple of drinks and stop, when it comes to my wife — not so much.
She will keep ordering drinks right up to 2 a.m. And while sometimes stupidly funny when we were younger, as we’ve aged the end results were becoming frequently embarrassing.
I was becoming very concerned about my wife’s drinking and her health.
One night when she went way over the edge, I filmed her, sent the video to her, and told her that I no longer wished to be a part of that lifestyle.
I dumped all the alcohol in the house, and neither of us has had a drink since.
I hardly miss it, and she had no trouble quitting, either, but mentally it has been very challenging for her.
Alcohol was her social lubricant. Alcohol is what allowed her to get past her social anxiety and self-esteem issues.
Now she either doesn’t attend events at all, or sometimes we leave early because she is so unhappy.
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