Coerced abstinence did not precede notice of divorce
Dennis writes: “After 20 years of drinking and 12 years of marriage I got the dreaded, “I don’t love you anymore and I want a divorce,” notice. Heratbroken, I finally saw that my drinking, in fact, WAS that bad after all. That led me to a ‘fellowship of men and women’ which, to date, has resulted in 25+ years of continuous sobriety. I strngly support the “tough love” concept espoused here and wish we could get state legislatures to pass laws regulating drunk drivers on that principle.”
I only wish we could get cops to test every traffic violator for DUI. They think they can spot one by talking with one–but, as you and I know, they often cannot.
Too bad she couldn’t coerce you into abstinence or you didn’t get a DUI before the tragedy of divorce occurred. Too often, the feelings of love are peeled off only to leave a bitter pit, when the codependent finally says, “enough.” My goal is to help non-addicts identify and properly deal with the addiction before such tragedies happen.