Yesterday, I told my wife that I wanted a divorce and asked her to leave the house. We’ve been married for over 16 years, and for the last 8, I’ve been struggling with her alcohol addiction. What started as occasional binge drinking twice a month has escalated to almost daily or every other day. She’s promised to quit for years, but those promises have never materialized. Yesterday, she begged me not to go through with it and vowed to get clean “this week,” but I don’t believe her anymore. I told her that my decision was final and that I hoped she would get sober for the sake of our daughters. They deserve a mom who’s present and sober.

By the end of the day, she was drinking again and flat-out refused to move out. We live in a city with a high cost of living, and I’m currently paying around $3,600 in rent. Finding anything cheaper is nearly impossible. She can’t afford a place on her own, and I can’t afford to cover rent for both of us.

Has anyone else been through something similar? How did you handle it?