Of all the heartbreaking aspects of addiction, one of the worst tragedies is the toll this disease can take on your relationship with your partner. Though you may feel you can successfully keep your drinking and drug use separate from every other aspect of your life, a worsening substance use disorder will make that objective increasingly impossible to achieve, creating long-lasting damage that requires professional treatment to overcome.
Past approaches to treating addiction assumed that people were better off going through their program alone, remaining in relative isolation throughout their entire continuum of care. However, couples counseling can be a beneficial part of your addiction treatment plan by allowing you to address unresolved stress and tension resulting from substance abuse.
Should You Consider Couples Therapy?
Contrary to what you might assume, couples counseling is not only for people who frequently argue about issues like finances or parenting. Everyone needs occasional help navigating through life’s ups and downs, even well-adjusted people. Though challenges are a typical part of every relationship, addiction can magnify any problems many times over.
Going to therapy as a couple can improve your communication and conflict resolution skills and help you identify any dysfunctional behavior such as manipulation, enabling, co-dependency and unhealthy boundaries. Counseling may also allow you and your partner to overcome various addiction-related obstacles, including lost trust and intimacy.
Benefits of Couples Counseling
The disease of addiction can drive a wedge between you and your partner. In counseling, the non-addicted partner can learn more about substance use disorders and why someone would continue drinking or using, despite the obvious harm it is doing to their life. Counseling for couples can help you reconnect and reestablish a healthy, mutually beneficial relationship.
Successfully maintaining long-term sobriety isn’t a journey anyone should expect to take alone. You’ll need plenty of support along the way, including from your loved ones. Couples therapy can strengthen and improve your relationship by enhancing your understanding and appreciation of each other. If you are working through a 12-step program, going through counseling with your significant other is also a form of making amends and demonstrating your commitment to changing your life for the better.
Couples and Family Therapy in Costa Mesa and Laguna Beach
Has your loved one’s substance abuse cast a shadow over your lives or changed them into someone you no longer recognize? Or, have drugs or alcohol caused conflict and strife in your partnership? At Pillars Recovery, we understand how destructive addiction can be for young adults. We have found freedom through sobriety, and we want to guide you toward these benefits for yourself.
Our licensed, accredited and personalized addiction recovery programming will equip you with the tools you need to end your reliance on intoxicating substances, avoid a relapse and lead a fulfilling life. We offer a full continuum of care for men and women, including comfortable detox, dual-diagnosis treatment, residential living, partial hospitalization and aftercare. Reach out to us today to learn more about our comprehensive programming and how we can help you discover the joys of sobriety.
