Hey guys,
My girlfriend of 6 years has recently been drinking very heavily. Her alcohol consumption had caused issues in our relationship prior to this, but the past two or three weeks it has become a massive issue and is seriously affecting our relationship and the mental health of us both. She's told me that drinking is her way of coping with serious childhood trauma and that the past month memories of this trauma have been getting worse (and likely exacerbated by lockdown and lack of social interaction). She also suffers from body image issues and an eating disorder. Her pattern usually consists of not eating all day, having a massive dinner, drinking until she falls asleep and becoming immovable on the couch as I try and get her to bed.
A few weeks ago she passed out on the couch after having a couple of sleeping tablets and when she woke up was completely illegible, slurring her words, tripping over and was so disoriented she didn't know where she was. This was a 'breaking point' and after giving me her sleeping tablets, I found a bunch of empty bottles of spirits hidden in our room, the bathroom and in various obscure cupboards around the house. This was devastating, I had no idea that it'd reached this point. After talking with her & many tears on both our behalves she told me she would make an appointment with a specialist. By midday the next day she was visibly drunk, reeked of alcohol but was adamant she hadnt been drinking. The past few weeks have been a repeat of this: her being obnoxiously drunk and in denial; promising to make an appointment; hiding more bottles of alcohol around the house; admitting she never made an appointment; more crying; more empty promises.
This is taking a serious toll on me, as I'm dealing with a number of mental health issues myself. I don't want sympathy, I can't imagine the pain she goes through and how hard it must be that it's come to this point for her. I don't think I can be with this woman, the love of my life and somebody I want to have children with, if she continues to act like this.
How can I support her through this? I'm not willing to walk out of the door, as I love her and want to help her get through it. I just cannot take the lies, the false promises, the utter incoherence and 'Jekyll and Hyde' nature of what's happening.
She has an appointment with a psych in two weeks time but I'm worried that I can't take this for another two weeks. Any and all advice will be hugely appreciated.
Thanks!
