Watching someone you love struggle with addiction is never easy, but when it is your spouse, every area of your life is affected. If your spouse’s finances begin to suffer, so do yours. If your spouse gets sick or gets hurt, you are supposed to care for them. Not only that but dealing with the chaos that results from an addicted household can be mentally and emotionally draining.
Married couples who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse may be more likely to get a divorce than couples who do not face substance abuse issues. In fact, some studies show that substance abuse issues are cited as a contributing reason for nearly 34.6% of all divorces.[1]
Divorce doesn’t have to be the answer, though. If you or your spouse are struggling with addiction, seeking treatment from a substance abuse treatment program may be able to help you save your marriage. Rehab centers often offer family and marriage counseling to help couples repair the damages their addictions have caused.
How Substance Abuse and Addiction Can Affect Marriage
Addiction is a complex, progressive disease that can weaken marriage over time and destroy relationships. People who struggle with addiction often engage in risky, dangerous, or hurtful behaviors such as lying, manipulation, theft, or deceit in order to continue their addictions. Behaviors such as these can cause mistrust, arguments, and a breakdown in communication.
Watching your husband or wife struggle with the effects of addiction is not only painful for them, but it is painful for you, too. You may feel sad, worried, or fearful. You may also feel angry, scared, and betrayed. All of these emotions are normal, but they can wear on you over time.
Drug and alcohol abuse can also affect sex drive in a negative way, resulting in issues within your intimate lives. Substance abuse can even impact fertility. Pleasurable sex and fertility are two additional common reasons for divorce in America.
If your husband or wife is struggling with addiction, the best thing they can do for themselves and for your relationship is to seek treatment. And, the best thing you can do for them is to support them in their recovery journey.
3 Ways an Addiction Treatment Center Can Help Save Your Marriage
The goal of addiction treatment is to treat the causes behind a person’s addiction and provide them with the coping skills and resources they need to stay sober. When your spouse gets sober, their habits and personality will change. They will stop spending money on drugs and alcohol, you won’t have to cover up or make excuses for their behaviors, and you may begin to see the best qualities of the person whom you fell in love with once again.
Here are three ways an addiction treatment center can help your loved one get sober and save your marriage.
1. Family and Marriage Counseling
Most addiction treatment centers offer family and marriage counseling. You will be able to visit your loved one during rehab and participate in these counseling sessions with them. Counseling will address any specific issues you are having in your marriage as well as communication skills.
Discussing marital issues involving addiction can be emotional and stressful, but with a therapist guiding the way and acting as a mediator, you and your spouse can communicate clearly and confidently with one another. Counseling can help you work through the issues in your relationship and your home. It can also give you and your partner a deeper understanding of one another.
2. Resources for You
Addiction is frequently described as a family disease because it affects everyone close to the addicted person. A loved one’s addiction can result in you turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms yourself, neglecting your own self-care, or feeling hopeless. As a result of the effects of your spouse’s addiction, you may need support for yourself.
An addiction treatment center can connect you with the resources you need to remain healthy and continue being there for your spouse. They may suggest individual counseling, support groups like Al-Anon, or simple lifestyle changes. When you take care of yourself, you are in a much better position to support your loved one in their recovery.
3. Support for Your Addicted Spouse
Recovery is an ongoing process, and it may take time for your husband or wife to make changes. A good addiction treatment center will provide ongoing support that extends beyond the doors of the rehab facility. Aftercare support services like recovery coaching, continued care, alumni groups, and 12-Step meetings can help your spouse stay on the right track so they don’t return to drugs and alcohol.
Benefits of Sending an Addicted Spouse to Rehab
Addiction treatment centers encourage healthy communication, positive lifestyle choices, and smart decision-making. As your addicted spouse begins to recover, you may feel relief as well. Benefits of sending an addicted spouse to rehab include:
- Gives your husband or wife a chance to get sober before threatening separation or divorce
- Improves communication within the marriage
- Provides you with relief when they are in a safe, supervised environment rather than using drugs or alcohol
- Reduces irresponsible spending
- Eliminates feelings of mistrust and suspicion
- Promotes feelings of hope and positivity about the future
Find Help for an Addicted Spouse Today
Sending your spouse to an addiction treatment center can save their life and your marriage. Don’t wait any longer to get the support your marriage deserves. Call now to speak with a dedicated admissions counselor at Moving Mountains Recovery and learn how our substance abuse treatment programs can help.
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