The reason this advice hurt so much at the time was that it would have forced me to see my part in things. At my office, I began to put together a black and white list of the things in our relationship that I could not accept.

And when you are with an alcoholic, you are used to suffering in silence as the martyr, wondering why the alcoholic does what s/he does. This included that he did not go to my grandfather’s funeral, he did not come home all night long, and he brought cocaine into our home.

Because alcoholism is a chronic condition, dating and relationships should be conducted in the context of the individual's recovery, a personal and unique process.

People in programs such as Alcoholic Anonymous are encouraged not to date or otherwise pursue relationships until they have achieved one year of sobriety.

I was slightly concerned it would not be the right match.

Author: Shernide Delva Truthfully, I did not know what to expect the first time I discovered I was dating a recovering drug addict.

Though they might have a higher sensitivity to critical comments, they also have access to tools that can help them to be both loving and kind and honest.

Like one who lives in deceit, I stone myself and call for help Your wound grows and grows It slits my throat from vein to vein. There are hundreds of stories and resources for addicts.

Even after a year, there are factors to keep in mind if you are dating or considering dating a recovering alcoholic.

Educate yourself on what alcoholism is and how it can potentially affect you.