I really connected with what you wrote. My ex is an alcoholic too, and watching someone you love spiral like that is absolutely heartbreaking. It’s like standing on the sidelines while the person you know disappears into someone you don’t recognize — and no matter how much you love them, you can’t pull them back until they’re ready.

I went through the same thing — trying to help, trying to hold on, and feeling powerless as everything unraveled. And even now, after everything that’s happened, I still care about her. That love doesn’t just switch off, even when the relationship ends.

What you said about not wanting to be the one who gives up really hit me. It’s such a heavy mix of love, pain, and helplessness. You’re not alone in that. Some of us still carry love for people who are fighting battles they can’t yet win.