By Dixie Somers
Dealing with an addicted partner can be one of the hardest things that you may ever have to go through. Day in and day out, it’s the same thing over and over again. As soon as you walk in the door, you notice that they’re either drunk or high on some sort of drug. Whether they’re drinking hard liquor, using drugs, or addicted to sports exercising, putting up with their antics is something that you shouldn’t have to deal with. If you’ve tried to reason with them in the past, but haven’t gotten anywhere with possible recovery options, these five must-knows can help you in dealing with your addicted partner and putting them on the right path to sobriety:
Put Yourself First
You are not able to help your partner if you can’t even help yourself. If you are also struggling with addiction, it’s time to break the habit and get clean. By putting yourself and your health first, your partner may notice a change and want to get clean as well. Even if you do not have an addiction, simply dealing with someone who does can put a major toll on your health and well-being. Take the wife of Guns N’ Roses rocker Slash. She helped him seek help and get sober after he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure from continued drug use. Make sure you take time out of the day to spend to yourself, healing yourself emotionally and psychologically to be in the best place possible.
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They Are Who They Are
Before you can help your addicted partner, you must realize that they are who they are and that you are not able to change them if they are not willing to receive the help. They must want to put in the time and effort that it takes in recovering before they will reach true sobriety. Catherine Zeta Jones was a smoker until she was caught by the media smoking while pregnant. She realized the danger she might be posing to her children, and this encouraged her to quit for good.
Educational Material
To deal with these sorts of addictions, you will want to educate yourself on the types of substances that they are using and why they may be turning to drugs and alcohol as a crutch. You must know what you’re dealing with in order to effectively help them. Books and 12-step meeting programs will provide you with a little more insight into the current addictions that they are facing and how you can be there for them.
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Do Not Enable Their Habits
Enabling your partners habits will never help them to recover. You must put your foot down and say enough is enough. Do not provide them with money to purchase drugs or go out to get them alcohol. According to experts at DelrayRecoveryCenter.com, Enabling will only further their disease and addiction.
Going to Meet With Them
Attending meetings with your loved one will show them that you support them on their road to recovery. You can participate in these meetings by simply being there, hearing the stories of others and sharing your stories which can be a very helpful recovery method. If your like Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane’s wife, encouraging them to get help is a great way to get them started. Attending meetings can also be encouraging for lasting sobriety.
This article was written by Dixie Somers and coauthored by Stanley Martinson. Dixie is freelance writer and blogger who loves writing about entertainment, family, and health and topics.
