Substance abuse disorders are among the top public health concerns worldwide. Addiction to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or gambling can affect several aspects of one’s life, like health, finances, legalities, and social consequences.
Drug and alcohol abuse have a debilitating effect on the brain and prevent it from efficiently performing crucial life-sustaining functions. Therefore, addiction can easily take hold of an individual’s life, making it their top priority. Confronting an addiction and going through the recovery trials is a challenging process. It can be terrifying because it has the power to infringe relationships, shatter trust, and destroy a person. The road to recovery is hard on not just the addicts but also the people who care for them.
As someone who has discovered that their partner has a serious problem, questions like where to go and what to do might get overwhelming. Luckily, your relationship with your partner doesn’t need to change dramatically to accommodate their sobriety. The following strategies can guide you on how to support a partner in recovery and where to begin.
1. Get Professional Help
Substance abuse disorders aren’t just about physical dependence, and therefore kicking the habit of regular drug or alcohol use isn’t easy. Seeking help from health professionals may mitigate the risk of relapse by addressing underlying social and psychological factors. For instance, experts at Delphi Health Group offer medical detox that clears the body of lingering drug effects while also conducting counseling sessions to identify the cause of addiction. Professional help can also provide benefits such as giving a new perspective to your loved ones, presenting them with coping strategies, preventing relapse, and giving them the necessary support.
If your partner is undergoing recovery, it’s important to stay supportive every step of the way. Still, it’s equally essential to recognize your limitations and seek professional help as soon as possible.
2. Be Nonjudgmental
As a supportive partner, the first thing you must do is keep an open mind and try to be understanding. Individuals on the road to recovery to face their addiction head-on have already taken the most challenging step. Their previous behavior and actions may already make them feel guilty or shameful. So, adding to these feelings is the last thing you want to do.
It’s essential to recognize that addiction is a disease and not a choice. Therefore, you must treat your partner the same way you would when they’re down with a fever or flu. Let them know you understand it’s not their fault and that you are willing to help them through every step in the path of recovery.
3. Have a Plan
The foundation of every successful relationship is open communication. When starting a journey of your partner’s recovery, you must do it as a team. Encourage talking about it openly and develop a plan of action before, during, and after treatment. Talk to your partner to set goals and plans the two of you wish to accomplish in the future. Providing clear goals and objectives encourages individuals in recovery to work harder, giving them something to look forward to.
Discuss your expectations with your loved one and explain your boundaries as well. You will be able to succeed as a team and avoid unnecessary conflicts and headaches down the road.
4. Recognize Their Progress
Recovery doesn’t just happen overnight. It often takes long months, several setbacks, and countless challenges before a patient can be free of the hold substance abuse takes over. Additionally, shame, guilt, depression, and feelings of helplessness often accompany the recovery process. While it takes great courage to enroll in recovery, it takes a sheer amount of dedication to stay committed to it.
One of the critical parts of recovery is to rebuild self-esteem and help individuals recognize they are still worthy of receiving love and care. Let your partner know you are proud of them, no matter how trivial it may seem. Listening to words of encouragement and appreciation go a long way and may even result in a quicker recovery.
5. Try Couples Therapy
Every couple has its ups and downs, and no one is perfect. But when you add addiction recovery to the equation, any relationship will be under a considerable amount of strain. Couples therapy can significantly impact even the most successful of relationships. Since those in recovery have more complications than usual, they should consider counseling. Often substance abuse results in broken trusts and questionable loyalties. Attending couples therapy can provide both partners a safe environment to share their feelings and experiences to rebuild a healthier and stronger relationship.
While your partner is in recovery, here are some of the things you can do to help and support them:
- Visit them in rehab centers whenever visitation is allowed
- Keep all conversations positive
- Try to learn as much as you can about their substance disorder
- Don’t become obsessed with their treatment process; give them space to heal on their own
- Avoid bringing up past mistakes
- Make sure your partner receives support other than your own
Conclusion
For relationships that have endured addiction, the road to recovery can be long and winding. However, it’s important not to lose hope. Many couples have worked through the obstacles and come out stronger than before. Follow these strategies above and see how your partner heals, so will your relationship.