I left my wife as she drinks too much but I still love her

DEAR DEIDRE: AFTER putting up with my wife’s excessive boozing for years, I told her I was leaving, hoping it might make her change.

But she kept on drinking.

I am 53 and my wife is 48.

We have been married for 18 years.

I love her but it feels as though I’m being punished for something beyond my control.

We used to drink socially in our village at ­weekends but then her drinking spiralled out of control and she’d often embarrass herself – being rude or falling all over the place.

She started to go to the pub alone in the week and others would bring her home in a right state.

Sometimes I would wake up alone imagining something terrible had happened to her and have no clue about how to track her down.

I tried talking to her but got nowhere. I don’t like confrontation at the best of times.

I couldn’t take much more and told her I was ­leaving, hoping this might make her realise I was serious about her drinking.

Sadly, I have heard through friends that she still gets drunk all the time.

I can’t stop loving her but wish she could go back to how she used to be.

DEIDRE SAYS:  Nothing will change until your wife admits she has an alcohol problem.

Her addiction has become more important to her than you are.