My husband is a functioning alcoholic

Anon Imperfect Mum

My husband is a functioning alcoholic

Hi sisters,
I think this will be a long one so I guess I'll jump straight into it.
My husband of 10 years is a functioning alcoholic.
Let me start by saying he a wonderful man with a lot of amazing qualities. He is a fantastic father, he works hard and to be perfectly honest the last 10 years has been beyond difficult.
Our eldest has several severe medical conditions which has left her with an intellectual disability among other things.
I myself suffer from chronic mental health issues. The combination of these factors mean I am unable to work and won't be for the foreseeable future.
So, we are a single income family with a lot of medical costs. My daughter and I are currently receiving some funding through the NDIS but that only covers speech and OT.
Over the years his drinking has been an ongoing issue in our relationship. I have tried everything to help him understand how much it effects our lives. I have begged him to get help.
He is a completely different person when he drinks. He is hurtful and nasty and seems to lose any form of respect for me as a person.
He also lies about his alcohol consumption and tries to hide it. I know immediately once he has had more than one drink purely by how he speaks to me.
It has gotten to the point where I have panic attacks every time I see him pick up a drink. My heart rate skyrockets and I feel physically sick.
I moved into the spare room at the start of the year and pretty much go into hiding as soon as he has a drink.
I have begged him to get help and he refuses.
I have no ability to leave. My financial situation is a complete mess. I cannot support myself let alone 2 kids.
I cannot keep living like this!
What can I do?

Posted in:  Relationships & Marriage

1 Replies

Anon Imperfect Mum

You may be able to afford to leave, you may be eligible for:
Carers pension plus carers allowance
Rental assistance
FTB a and b
Disability pension
Healthcare card
Single parenting pension (depending on kids age)
Child support

Look into it, see what you could get.
You may find after leaving and when everything settles down, your mental health issues may improve and you may be able to work.

Don’t assume you can’t do it, look into the various payments.

Good luck, you don’t deserve to live like this xxx

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