Whether you’re in need of Residential treatment or a PHP in Asheville, NC, our team is here to support you every step of the way. Recovery is a transformative journey—a time of self-discovery, healing, and growth. For those navigating sobriety, relationships can be both a source of strength and a divorce after sobriety challenge. Building and maintaining healthy connections while prioritizing recovery requires intention, communication, and patience.
It’s often very difficult for the partner to let go of the resentment, anger, and fear they’ve felt over the time their partner was using drugs and alcohol. Stress can come in a lot of different forms when you’re trying to get sober – marriage doesn’t have to be one of them. If your partner has stuck by you through your addiction, then they’re most likely willing to support your recovery process as well. Taking a few extra steps can make the experience smoother for both you and your spouse as you work towards your path to recovery. Navigating relationships in sobriety can be complex, but you don’t have to do it alone. Silver Ridge’s specialized programs provide personalized care and guidance for those working to rebuild their lives.
When one partner decides to change their behavior (quit using drugs and alcohol), it causes ripples throughout the family system. This can be disruptive, even if the change made was positive. If your partner is recovering from addiction, the process can come with challenges, and it may take time to cope with those challenges, but you’re not alone. I told him if we were to stay married, he’d need to consider a life without alcohol. But, having never struggled emotionally with substances the way I did, he didn’t see it that way, and our marriage dissolved.
Many books address the challenges of an individual getting sober from substance use disorders. However, it is rare to read a book that integrates the parallel recovery process that is necessary for couples in which one individual is in sobriety and the other is not. The person who has just recovered from substance abuse disorder will have to put in efforts to rebuild the lost trust. The survival of the marriage will depend on whether both of them are reading from the same page and are willing to make amends and offer support whenever possible. There are over 40 million people in the U.S. alone living with substance use disorder.
Childhood trauma can drive these feelings, but early sobriety is not the time to address it. Unhealthy relationships consist of various types of destructive dynamics. These include toxic people, negative communication patterns, power struggles, codependency, and many others. In fact, research suggests that https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/fetal-alcohol-syndrome-overview/ individuals who battle relationship stress often use drugs or alcohol to cope. Your husband or wife has chosen to stay and support you because they care. They’ll also care that you’re actively working on your recovery.
Possibly there were times when the person with the substance abuse disorder promised their spouses they are done with drugs only to relapse sometime later. If this was repeated severally, the spouse lost all trust and have difficulty trusting the now sober guy again. They wonder what makes this time different, treading the relationship with fear as they did previously, fearing triggering an argument or a slip. All of these stressors can result in the addict drinking or using in order to return to the familiar status quo.
There is no single or easy solution Sober living house to facing these obstacles, but there are several strategies that can help you and your spouse develop and maintain a healthy relationship in addiction recovery. When long-awaited sobriety finally arrives, partners expect their past relationship problems will disappear. Often, there is a “honeymoon” period when they’re on their best behavior and reaffirm their love and commitment.
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