you are on a mostly pill related forum of this website, But many of us have cross addictions of whatever we can get to numb our pain/emotions. You are more than welcome to chat here, and i'm sure most will tell you to find an alanon meeting (they vary with time of day and day of week as to who is there and dominates the perspective). We will gladly support you here, yet know your hub has to make this choice, perhaps knowing you started attending al-anon will be that light he needs.
It sounds like my fiance.. he too is a daily drinker but it's escalating now because of depression and it goes from a couple of beers a day to 7 - 8 tall cans a night.
He has been a daily drinker as long as I've known him, over 25 years. But with the job loss and having all this time on his hands in the middle of winter, I think it has reached a critical point.
I want him to start with the GP becasue he also has high BP and wants to quit smoking. And has had insomnia meds and anti-depression meds already prescribed. It may be these things have also made matters worse. So I am hoping that the GP may refer to a therapist in the same med group! I also wonder if there is a medical connection due to the meds he is receiving, or if it truly is a depression situation brought to a head by all the trials he's had this year. So I'm thinking it's best to eliminate any medical causes before starting on the mental health path.
What meds is he currently on? ALOT of the anti-depressants can actually cause more depression, anxiety, mood swings, etc... Also you walk a fine line with the purchasing of alcohol for him... I have lived with an alcoholic before, and I remember times she'd run out and all HELL broke loose! His stability right now seems very low... I would only buy it if you think he may get angry/violent/etc... until you see your GP.. And I would DEFINITELY talk to his GP about it. They can help if you got a good one!! Good luck and keep us all posted.
How much and often is he drinking?
Would a therapist be a better option then a GP? Is he willing to see a therapist? Depression is a horrible debilitating problem. My husband is recovering alcoholic who is bipolar and when he does not take his meds, life is horrible. The person with the illness does not realize that they are hurting more then just themself.
It's hard to say if he is an alcoholic based of the information you give. He obviously has something going on. Do not buy him alcohol. You can't stop him from buying it himself though. You are not responsible for his behaviour.
I am sorry that you are in this situation. It's a difficult one to be in. Famiy counseling may be beneficial for both of you.
Good luck