What is the relationship between alcohol and drug use and relationships?
• 25-30% of adults entering treatment for alcohol/drugs are married or in stable relationships. • Alcoholics and substance abusers are just as likely to marry, but more likely to divorce/separate. • Exhibit high levels of relationship distress and dissatisfaction. • Poor communication skills. • Decreased expressions of caring behaviors. • Distress and health concerns in spouses and children. • Increased risk of interpersonal violence. What happens to relationships when substance use is a problem? The relationship between problematic drinking and relationship problems is not unidirectional, with one consistently causing the other, but rather each can serve as a precursor to the other, creating a vicious cycle from which couples that include a substance-using partner have difficulty escaping. For example, there are several familial antecedent conditions and reinforcing consequences of substance use. Marital and family problems (e.g., poor communication, deficient problem-solving skills,
