Living with an alcoholic partner: An ethnographic study among al-anon groups

Alcohol addiction is a disease that engulfs not only the addicts but also the significant members in their lives. The psychosocial and economic disruptions it can cause in the dependent family members’ lives lay the study’s background. The immediate and most significant persons facing the consequences are the spouses of addicts. They are labeled as an alcohol addict’s spouse and attributed to be responsible for the addict’s irresponsibility over his life and time. Al-Anon Family Groups are a Self-help model of group education for spouses and those who are affected by the alcoholism of an addict. This paper shares the results of an ethnographic study among two selected Al-Anon group meetings in Tamil Nadu, India. Al-Anon group meetings were chosen in concordance with strict adherence to anonymity. It was observed that the women participating in Al-Anon groups could develop confidence in dealing with their alcoholic husbands and select strategies to face their life situations resiliently. The study is relevant as significantly few structured programs are designed to care for the most critical caregivers of the addicts. The study calls for the attention of health givers, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists to the plight of alcoholics’ wives.