Keeping a relationship strong and healthy is very difficult. When you add a drug or alcohol addiction to the mix, it can increase the amount of difficulty two people face when trying to stay together. If both people involved in a relationship are addicted to drugs or alcohol, entering a facility like Couples Rehab is important. In these facilities, you can focus on getting sober and introducing healthy habits into your relationship together.
You will find that as you start your sobriety journey the tolerance you have for fighting and stress will diminish quite a bit. A toxic relationship will only make your journey more difficult and affect your mental health at this crucial time.
This is why you need to work on strengthening your relationship during the addiction recovery process. Here are some things you can do to make this goal a reality.
Work On Being Encouraging
Each year, nearly 800,000 marriages end in divorce in the United States. When two people are fresh out of an addiction recovery facility, readjusting to life without illicit substances is one of their biggest challenges. In some cases, these challenges can lead to very volatile situations. It is unrealistic to think that you and your partner will never argue. The main thing you need to do to avoid letting the arguments take a turn for the worse and avoid saying things that will discourage your partner.
Not getting support for a life partner can be the thing that pushes a person to use illegal drugs or alcohol again. Instead of using a person’s addiction struggle against them in moments of anger, you need to be as encouraging as you can. If you do get angry, avoid letting your temper lead to you saying things you will regret in the future. Take a few minutes to remove yourself from a tense home environment to think clearly and cool off. During the break, think of constructive ways you can diffuse the situation at hand.
Don’t Stop Sharing With Your Partner
Going through the drug addiction treatment with your partner is beneficial. However, this process can still make you feel isolated and alone. Often, people in addiction treatment will uncover trauma from their past as they try to put the pieces of their lives back together. When these old feelings resurface, you might feel like withdrawing, which could jeopardize your sobriety.
Rather than shutting down, you need to open up to your partner. Being able to share your fears with your soulmate can take a lot of the weight off of your shoulders. Allowing them the chance to share their feelings will also help you strengthen the relationship you have with your partner.
After your addiction treatment, consider enrolling in couple’s counseling. With the help of a relationship therapist, you can work through any issues you have with your partner without introducing unhealthy habits into the equation.
Make Addiction Meetings Your Date Night
One of the main things an addiction counselor will encourage recently sober people to do is to go to meetings with other recovering addicts. While most people start out going to every meeting they can find, this enthusiasm eventually fades.
If you are going to these meetings with your significant other, create a system of constant encouragement. If one of you allows the other to skip a meeting, it is only a matter of time before this bad decision catches up with you and becomes a regular occurrence.
Going out to dinner after these meetings or catching a movie can make these nights more enjoyable. By centering date night around your addiction meetings, you can stay on the straight and narrow while making your relationship healthier.
Recognize the Signs of a Relapse
Keeping your relationship happy during and after drug addiction treatment will require you to educate yourself regarding the signs of a relapse. Many addicts tend to fall back into their old ways when the stresses of life confront them. Knowing what to look for can help you spot a potential relapse and take steps to either prevent or treat it.
If your partner starts talking about the days when they used to take drugs or alcohol out of nowhere, they could be thinking about using again. Also, higher levels of stress can lead to a recovering addict to turn to drugs or alcohol for relief.
Staying involved in your partner’s day-to-day life is vital when trying to catch these signs early on. If you are having thoughts of using again, you need to share it with your partner. Being afraid to ask for help in this vulnerable situation can lead to big problems, such as a full-on relapse.
Making a Relationship Strong Is Hard Work
Now that you know more about how to keep your relationship healthy during and after recovery, it is time to put these tips to use. Remember to reach out for support and accept help from the people around you in this challenging, but important time.
