Daily Archives2022 April 26

How Do Our Relationships Change with Sobriety? Riverside Recovery of Tampa

• 26 April 2022
• by: Admin
• in: Sober living
• note: no comments

I didn’t see the damage that remained because I was confident in my amends made in those many mornings after. Yes, I had been an asshole, but I had said I was sorry. Kristie Mays serves as Financial Assistance Coordinator for Burning Tree Ranch. Responsible for a host of duties to include payroll and client billing, Kristie boasts a 25-year background in the financial services industry. Happily married for 26-years, Kristy has 3 beautiful children, a long-haired dachshund, cocker spaniel, and a 1-year-old terrier.

Instead, I couldn’t live a life where I replayed my past; I couldn’t live a life that focused on victimization. For me, that was the reality of his sobriety—that was the reality I had been avoiding for 10 years, a reality which I didn’t want to admit was mine. My married life was riddled with violence and self-deprecation. I was the victim of spousal abuse, physical and mental, and not only did I stay with my abuser, I stayed with him and started a family.

Go to Marriage Counseling for Addiction

It’s well-known that substance use disorder (SUD) can negatively affect relationships. But what many people don’t realize is that even after sobriety, addiction can continue to have a negative impact. Recovery is an incredibly difficult time and is often accompanied by feelings of shame and depression. Choosing to enter into recovery is a brave decision and staying committed to it takes a lot of dedication. Rebuilding self-esteem is a critical part of recovery.

As we shifted the sobriety count from days to weeks and, later, months, we became more in tune with one another, but we were still two strangers living apart. It wasn’t that my husband turned back to the bottle. (In fact, he is closing in on his one year anniversary.) https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/how-marriage-changes-after-sobriety/ It was that I underestimated the power of the storm, the one raging inside of me. It was a storm which had been brewing for 10 years, but was always kept offshore thanks to circumstance, specifically, thanks to the distraction of his drinking.

How Can Marriage Survive Sobriety

I could see that I had changed, and I could see that I wanted things to work with my husband, but I couldn’t figure out how to bridge the gap. A marriage in recovery means volunteering to go through that backlog together. Some people, frankly, don’t have the stomach for it. But recovery means you have to take responsibility for your life.

At least I can’t find where this subset has ever been studied. I’m curious about the rate of divorce in marriages where the alcoholic gets sober. Based on the stories I know, and our personal experience, I’ll bet that divorce rate is over 80%. I thought getting sober was the hardest thing I’d ever do until I experienced the damage recovery did to my relationship.

Attend Counseling

When someone struggles with addiction, they may withdraw emotionally from their partner, leading to isolation and loneliness. Their mood swings and irritability can make it hard to connect with their partner, leading to a breakdown in the relationship. As a relationship deteriorates due to drug and alcohol abuse, anger and violence often emerge as concerns. Frustrations are high—even more so if someone is using a substance known to cause aggression. These situations become dangerous fairly quickly.

Be engaged in their treatment, and work on healing the relationship. There are over 40 million people in the U.S. alone living with substance use disorder. And many of those individuals have partners or spouses.

Tips for providing support

If you have cause to suspect a substance abuse problem, you should confront your partner without judgment or a tone of confrontation. This will give them an opportunity to come clean before submitting to professional treatment. As your loved one is in treatment, there are also support groups that can offer solace during this difficult time. At least you know you’re not alone in the fight to battling your partner’s addiction. In most cases, drinking and drug use must stop to identify and address the problems within the relationship.

If you or your spouse are ready to rebuild your lives and break free from the chaos of addiction, then it’s time to get the help you need. At Gateway, our evidence-based treatment programs are designed to address the personal needs of each individual who comes to us for help. When you and your spouse receive couples therapy for drug addiction together, you can address your individual issues and work together on the underlying problems. Support groups are another helpful resource, where you and your spouse can learn from the experiences of others and receive support from those who have been where you are. Burning Tree Ranch is dedicated to helping individuals overcome addiction and repair damaged relationships.

The Importance of Addiction Treatment for Marriage

We had a clear vision of our life together that had been interrupted by his substance use disorder. I was eager, at times perhaps too much, to get us back on track. Without the cornerstone of Bill’s recovery, none of this would be possible again. The remedy did not end with sobriety; that’s where it started. Next, he had to create a treatment plan consisting of therapy, medication, and fellowship to avoid relapse.

• If you are in recovery from addiction, it’s important to take things slow when it comes to rebuilding your marriage.
• In this country, getting wasted is a staple of Western expat life and we were eager participants.
• If you live with an addict, you’re at greater risk of victimization.