A Dangerous Combination

by Sandy Derouin

At the age of eighteen, I married my high school sweetheart and, filled with optimism, left my family and hometown behind. The early years of my marriage were marked by socializing and partying, and it wasn't until I became pregnant with my first child that I saw what my husband really was-an alcoholic. Unfortunately it would be twenty years before he would see that himself. For years I lived in constant fear my husband would get arrested for drunk driving. Then as the disease progressed, I began to hope he would. At least then I would know he was somewhere safe for a while. Many times I considered leaving him. I even filed for divorce, but I knew my daughters' futures depended on our family staying together. Thankfully God's hand guided us through the difficult years and kept us safe until the cause of my husband's problem was rooted out. While only 2 percent of people are affected with bipolar disorder, 46 percent of them also deal with alcohol abuse, and my husband had that Dangerous Combination. In following my journey through the last two decades, I hope you are able to glean information and advice from our failures and successes and apply them to your own life. Alcoholism affects more than 140 million families worldwide. You're no more alone than I was, and the sooner you humble yourself and admit you can't handle it alone, the sooner God can swoop in and restore your life.

Nook

First published June 21, 2011