If you have a situation in which one half of a couple is an addict then this can cause untold hardship for the other half. The person who is addicted may have changed from a previously easy going personality to one who is prone to mood swings, violent outbursts, secrecy and other forms of extreme behaviour.
This is difficult for their partner to deal with and is even worse if there are children involved. It is both distressing and confusing for children to see one parent (or even both parents) exhibit signs of their addiction.
The person who is suffering from an addiction may be in financial difficulties which the other person is unaware of. Combine this with their irrational behaviour, paranoia and in several cases, criminal behaviour and you have a recipe for marital breakdown. In many cases the addict resorts to violence in desperation for their next ‘fix’. If he/she is craving a drink, cigarette or a particular drug but is unable to satisfy that craving - either due to a lack of money or prevented from doing so by their partner then violence is often the result.
The sad fact is that these actions are often committed by someone who is not a violent person by nature but is driven by their need for this substance. Their addiction is their main priority in life and that’s all that matters to them.
Someone in the grip of an addiction can become selfish, self-centred and oblivious to other peoples concerns. Things such as paying the mortgage and bills or other day to day issues of running a home are no longer important to them.
This often leads to a breakdown in the marriage or relationship which causes financial hardship and distress. The other half of the relationship is left to cope on his/her own which is even more difficult if there are children.
What can happen is that other members of the family closes ranks and exclude the person with the addiction. This is mainly done to protect the family from other consequences of his/her behaviour but also as a means of presenting a united front to the rest of society.