Intimacy in The Recovery Process Atlanta Area Psychological Associates, P C.

Recovery is a process that takes time, and it’s important to focus on your sobriety first and foremost. That being said, there are things you can do to start rebuilding trust and communication with your spouse. Your fear about change is a typical concern because you are correct in understanding that everything will change, including your relationship. Cessation from drugs and alcohol is a process, and your job is to encourage and support, not criticize or push them. Once they are sober, there will be ups and downs that your relationship will encounter, but you can manage them if you trust the process of recovery.

• Our strongest feelings, our secrets, the things that make us unique, are kept here.
• When asking whether marriage can survive sobriety, the answer can be yes—if a couple takes a healthy approach to managing their problems and discussing their feelings.
• It’s a new lease on life that can be an unexpected bonus of recovery.
• When one spouse is struggling with addiction, it’s easy for the other spouse to become overly involved in their recovery.
• And the longer I stayed, the more I lost my grip on everything.

He didn’t know how to support me, which is what made his support so helpful. I had to be honest about what I needed, and he did his best to provide it. Neither of us pretended to know the right way forward. Addiction is the third most-cited marriage after sobriety reason for divorce in the United States. Had I not gotten sober, we likely would’ve gone that way as well. And the longer I stayed, the more I lost my grip on everything. And I made the people around me just as miserable.

Drinking Was Hard On My Marriage. So Was Recovery.

All clients and employees are tested for COVID-19 weekly, or at any time upon request. All grocery shopping will be done by staff, we have also stocked up on food, vitamins, and all essential items that may be needed by clients during this period. We either try to work it out, or maybe I’m one of the stories in the book that the marriage can’t make it through my sobriety. Health issues, such as liver problems, sores that won’t heal, chronic coughs or digestive issues.

• A parallel recovery process is necessary for couples, in which one individual is in recovery and the other is not.
• If you’re married to an addict in recovery, you’re certainly not alone.
• Health issues, such as liver problems, sores that won’t heal, chronic coughs or digestive issues.
• You may find other programs at your local church or through your therapist’s office.
• We’re proud of ourselves for finally doing the work to get sober.

But, this isn’t always the case at the beginning of recovery. Want to learn how to support yourself and your spouse during this time of change? Read on to discover our tips for sober spouses married to an addict in recovery. Many spouses say they feel like a single parent when their partner turns to drugs or alcohol. One of the hardest things to bear while your loved one is using is the undue burden it puts on you to run the household while your partner struggles with their disease.

Will I Feel Safe or Isolated During Treatment?

Running away from what caused mental and emotional pain — whether it be a dead-end job or a relationship at the crest of its honeymoon phase — was the only way I knew how to cope. We had to move back before we could dream of moving forward. We had to revive the terror before we could see a hopeful future. I had to apologize again—with the promise of permanent sobriety this time—before Sheri could figure out how to forgive.

How do you love someone you don’t like to be around? That question without an answer was paralyzing for a long time. I had to recover from addiction, and my wife had to recover from so many years spent in codependency and dysfunction. We both had an uphill battle, but on top of all of that—on top of what we thought were the greatest challenges of our lives—we had to try to recover our marriage. And we didn’t have a clue how to begin to do that. Self-preservation does not afford the luxury of trust.

Get Your Own Support

A lot of your life revolved around worrying about them, trying to get them to change, and taking on their responsibilities around the home. Setting boundaries with a person in recovery is just as important as setting boundaries with someone in active addiction. This is because of the reality that they may relapse again. It’s also important to hold your spouse accountable for their behavior in recovery.

Addiction treatment can help you get to the root of your addiction and learn how to manage your triggers and cravings. It can also give you the tools you need to rebuild your marriage after sobriety. Another big challenge of being married to someone who is not sober is avoiding codependency. When one spouse is struggling with addiction, it’s easy for the other spouse to become overly involved in their recovery.

You’ll find there are helpful programs for the partners of recovering addicts and your children, too. Al-Anon, for instance, helps families of alcoholics with a program that’s similar to the 12 steps of AA. You may find other programs at your local church or through your therapist’s office. Depending on what type of addiction your partner struggles with, they may need to enter a detox program. During detox, people are monitored to make sure their health remains safe while their bodies rid themselves of drugs and alcohol.

In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the challenges you may face as well as some tips for navigating https://ecosoberhouse.com/ with aftercare planning. Hopefully, the partner has also been in a 12-Step program, such as Nar-Anon or Al-Anon. New sobriety leaves a void, which formerly was filled with all the mental and physical activity of trying to control and manipulate the addiction and substance abuser. Being a codependent caretaker hid their inner emptiness. Feelings of anxiety, anger, loss, boredom, and depression may arise.