Promising to love someone for better or worse is a huge commitment, and it is hard to see how the future could make this more challenging than you could ever expect. When you are in love with someone who has an addiction, it is common to go through a wide range of emotions. On one hand, you might feel guilty about thinking about walking away. After all, you know the true beauty of your spouse that lurks just beneath the surface of their current negative behaviors. You likely remember all of the good times that you shared before their addiction took over. Or, you might have even used drugs together before you got sober. While you may still think of the happiness that you shared, there is also the dark side of addiction. You may be fed up with dealing with behaviors such as lying and arguing. Your loved one’s addiction might have even led to infidelity or trouble with the law. At the point that you are wondering if a marriage can survive drug addiction, you can assume that you are in need of professional help.
Just about any marriage can survive drug addiction, but it is essential to make sobriety just as much of a priority as your love for each other. As the sober person in the relationship, you may have to lay down strict boundaries that make it clear to your partner that your marriage is in trouble. When they are using drugs, they may not always be able to see the true consequences of their actions. They might also feel out of control when it comes to being able to end their addiction. While you can be there to offer them hope, there may come a point when you have to take matters into your own hands by choosing to have an intervention that could include telling them to get sober because you can no longer live this way. This is especially important if you have children in your marriage who are also being impacted by your spouse’s addiction.
Learn How to Rebuild Your Marriage With Addiction Treatment
The realization that your marriage is in trouble might be what it takes for your partner to agree to go to treatment. With professional addiction support, your partner can begin working on building a better life for themselves as well as you and the rest of your family. In rehab, your partner will undergo an assessment that helps their treatment team put together a plan to help them get sober. This typically includes special services that can increase the strength of your marriage. When your partner enrolls in rehab, you can continue to play a supportive role by doing these things that can show that you are willing to work with them as long as they are sober.
- Attend visitor days or call them during open phone times
- Be involved in family and marriage counseling sessions
- Take care of their responsibilities at home until they get back
- Give them positive updates on their kids or pets
- Drop off or send an extra set of clothes or money for snacks, if it is allowed or needed
Getting sober is the first step towards saving your marriage, and your spouse will be primarily responsible for working through the underlying reasons for their addiction. Once they get through the withdrawal process and first stages of their recovery, it becomes your turn to step up to the plate. Together, you can begin attending therapy sessions that help you both learn positive coping skills that apply directly to the issues that affect your marriage.
During this time, you will work with a professional counselor to start rebuilding your trust in each other. If you’ve experienced financial or legal issues from your spouse’s drug misuse, then you can also get help working through the stress that this causes. Issues with child rearing, communication and role sharing are all items that you can put on the table in your marriage therapy sessions so that you can learn how to resolve them together. While the road to saving your marriage isn’t always going to be easy, you may very well find that it is worth the effort. Marriages that have been put through the fire of addiction often emerge stronger, and you and your partner might even discover a new respect for each other after strengthening your relationship.
Are you worried about how addiction is affecting your marriage? With treatment, it is possible to make things better again. Give us a call at 833-364-0736 to find a family-focused treatment center today.