The second way in which someone becomes the spouse of an addicted person is a slow process that begins with social drinking that becomes nightly trips to a bar, and then they find that they are unable to stop. Or your spouse might need to undergo surgery and be prescribed pain medication for their recovery only to grow dependent on them and eventually addicted. If a doctor diagnosed your spouse with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, or another chronic condition, you would want to learn about the disease and the ways you could help. The more you learn about addiction, the more you will get over your anger and disappointment and be ready to help your spouse recover. But with professional help, recovery is possible, and the family unit can heal. Research has found that ongoing family support plays a vital role in a family member’s recovery.
As a partner or spouse, being educated about addiction and treatment is essential. The more you understand addiction, the easier it will be to offer support and hold your partner accountable when necessary. You should also set boundaries to keep yourself safe and avoid enabling your spouse. It can be easy to give in because you love your partner and don’t want to see them suffer. However, having proper boundaries, like walking away if things get abusive and refusing to support their addiction, will keep you safe along the way.
Don’t: Shield Your Spouse From Reality
Inpatient alcohol rehab may vary in duration, sometimes consisting of short stays of 3–6 weeks, which may or may not be followed by attendance at an outpatient rehab. Some people require longer stays of 6–12 months at facilities known as therapeutic communities (TCs), which provide structured programming and offer assistance with reintegration into their community. If your loved one is struggling with alcohol use, it can be challenging to figure out how to help them. Finally, many people are actually already aware when they get married that their partner has had issues with drugs or alcohol but is in recovery. People in recovery are often able to successfully maintain sobriety for years, but they are still susceptible to the possibility of relapse.
- Our comfortable, modern treatment facilities provide care for all forms of alcohol and drug use disorders as well as co-occurring mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and more.
- This means that if you like to indulge in either, you’ll have to join your spouse in sobriety.
- Physical abuse or psychological distress should never be allowed to continue.
- If you feel like you may be in danger of harm, or feel that your relationship is no longer healthy, it may be necessary to seek an end to the relationship.
Although the cost of rehab treatment may seem like an additional burden, it is one of the most effective steps that can be taken to restore the individual’s sobriety and finances. Concerns about paying for rehab services should never be a barrier to alcohol addiction treatment. Inpatient or residential AUD treatment entails patients living and residing in the rehabilitation center 24/7.
Seek Professional Help
Boundaries are clearly outlined expectations or rules set forth so that both partners know what behaviors are acceptable. Find 8 tips below for how to balance supporting the positive health behaviors of your partner, while also taking care of yourself. You’ll need to try to avoid all images of drugs and alcohol, including those on TV. This is a good time to invest in a gym membership and some board games. Try to take up a new hobby with your spouse like walking every day after work or trying out a new recipe every night. The goal is to create a new environment with as few triggers as possible.
Their ability to stay sober is not your responsibility, but you can do some things to help them along the way. Being married to a person who is addicted to alcohol or drugs is hard. When you entered into a marriage, you did so with the expectation of always putting each other first.
Addiction And Support Resources For Spouses And Partners
Some couples know before they say “I do” that a partner has issues with drugs or alcohol. Those in recovery can be the healthiest, most well-adjusted drug addiction recovery people you’ll meet, but they can also relapse. Nobody likes to think that addiction will happen to them or to their partner.
- Here are examples of things not to do when your spouse is addicted to drugs or alcohol and is going through recovery.
- There is a right way to have a difficult conversation about a substance abuse problem, and there are many wrong ways.
- Before your spouse leaves for treatment, offer a reassuring word.
- Alcohol Abuse is a form of substance use disorder characterized by excessive and prolonged consumption of alcohol, leading to a range of health issues, including liver diseases and mental health disorders.
Many of these adults are involved in some type of cohabiting relationship, and these partners are feeling the painful repercussions of alcohol or drug abuse. Whether this relationship involves marriage, a domestic partnership, or a more informal living arrangement, substance abuse affects everyone in the home, not just the individual who is addicted. Effective therapeutic interventions involve both partners as well as their children. American Addiction Centers’ treatment programs offer family therapy to ensure that you have the option to be adequately involved in your loved one’s treatment and recovery.