Spouses will likely experience moments that will have them wondering how their marriage can survive sobriety. There are still challenges ahead, but understanding the potential pitfalls can help spouses work together to overcome them. If you are in recovery from addiction, it’s important to take things slow when it comes to rebuilding your marriage.
EXPLORE TREATMENT OPTIONS
- It may require an intentional and lengthy process for both partners to learn how to rebuild trust within the relationship.
- Dating too soon in recovery can cause many people to replace one addiction with another.
- David Beasley is a compassionate leader and the visionary founder of Design for Recovery Sober Living Homes, where he dedicates his life to helping individuals reclaim their lives from addiction.
- Codependency keeps people from having healthy relationships, so unless this dynamic is changed, sobriety may not be enough to keep the cycle from continuing.
- There will be ups and downs but if you are willing to put in the work and get through the difficult early phase, then you can have a normal, happy life with your sober partner.
Advocating for yourself, your healing, and your recovery process are important in a new relationship. Prioritizing your personal growth prevents you from measuring your worth in another person or using a relationship to cope with challenges. Healthy boundaries protect your mental health and help you maintain a healthy relationship. Recovery gives you time to address the underlying challenges, emotions, triggers, compulsions, and mental health conditions that made you turn to substance use in the past. It’s important to address these before entering a relationship so you don’t use the relationship as a coping mechanism.
How to leave a partner living with addiction
It may require an intentional and lengthy process for both partners to learn how to rebuild trust within the relationship. These mental health symptoms can last longer than the withdrawal period, especially if the person with SUD hasn’t learned healthy coping mechanisms to deal with unwanted feelings. But for most couples experiencing substance use, life after sobriety isn’t so smooth. This is because of the way long-term substance use has affected both partners as well as the relationship itself. 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. Living with an alcoholic spouse can be draining and frustrating.
How does my partner’s addiction affect my emotional and mental health?
However, it’s not a cliché to say that our journey was far from linear. We both did a lot of work to disentangle, develop clear communication, and become mindful of ourselves and each other. Today, with 12 years of recovery, we have created a strong bond that respects our individuality, challenges us to grow, and supports our human fragility. Dating too soon in recovery can cause many people to replace one addiction with another. Feelings of infatuation and lust are strong, and they can become unhealthy coping mechanisms.
You are a mirror now, a flashlight of sobriety in a society that is laced with the judgment that it’s abnormal to abstain from alcohol. People will assume you drink and will be very https://minnesotadigest.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ curious about why you don’t have a drink in your hand when they do. Before I quit drinking, I never really used to care about dividing the bill down the middle with a group.
- Although the road to recovery can be long for everyone involved, it’s possible to make amends with those you might’ve hurt or lost in the past due to SUD.
- It can be hard to relax and enjoy your life when you’re constantly worried about what your spouse is doing or whether they will make it home safe.
- You can get to know another person while remaining emotionally balanced by pacing the relationship and remaining objective.
- I was attracted to his sensibilities and the ease with which he could be just as comfortable in his business suit as his biking gear.
- Talk, enjoy each other’s company, and try to rekindle feelings of romance and joy.
- Infidelity, borne of such impaired judgement, only adds another layer of hurt and mistrust in a marriage already strained by alcohol misuse.
- At least I can’t find where this subset has ever been studied.
Rebuilding Not Resurrecting
Sarah Allen Benton, M.S., LMHC., LPC, is a licensed mental health counselor and author of Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic. Starting a new relationship can be exhilarating, but it’s important to be mindful and discerning if you or someone you know is considering dating in recovery. Writing out how you feel is cathartic and helps you find the words to talk to your spouse. It may also serve to open the lines of communication damaged by months or years of anger and hurt. Being able to confront the hurt and anger does not mean your marriage is over.
Six Ways That Sex Changes After Sobriety
Soberlink is a remote alcohol monitoring system that provides documented proof of sobriety, fostering trust and accountability in relationships marred by alcohol misuse. If you’re struggling with addiction, it’s important to seek help from a treatment Top 5 Advantages of Staying in a Sober Living House center like Northpoint 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.