Marriage And Addiction Recovery

Though marriage can be a protective factor against substance abuse substance abuse and addiction can be a severe risk factor for marriage troubles and ultimately lead to divorce.

Marriage and addiction recovery.

But sometimes one or both partners are confused or offended by the suggestion that they should have counseling for relationship. While it might sound pat with hindsight it is often evident that these kinds of make or break. Few people knowingly marry someone struggling with addiction and the behaviors that accompany drug addiction can tear a marriage to pieces. Overcoming addiction isn t easy and the possibility that recovery would restore the family was likely a primary motivator for your loved one seeking help.

The spouse must turn to filling a life that may have been consumed by addiction and the vagaries and needs of the addict. Deciding which is a challenging choice for anyone. How a spouse s addiction impacts the marriage the national survey on drug use and health reports that approximately 24 6 million americans are in marriages where one spouse has a substance abuse issue. And research shows that couples counseling can help with addiction as well as the relationship problems that go along with it.

A marriage will need to heal in much the same way as the recovering addict. Couples working through addiction should take advantage of couples or family counseling. Third once you have dealt honestly with your addiction complete with accountability then you can work on your marriage. Seeking professional addiction recovery care is the first step towards a healthy resolution which will look different for each couple.

Research has found that excessive alcohol or drug abuse is the third most common reason why for divorce. Scripture tells us iron sharpen iron. If the spouse has been in recovery then this process has already begun. In fact couples dealing with addiction have four times the risk of divorce than those who don t and many of these divorces take place after the addicted partner is in recovery according to bob navarra pysd a master certified gottman therapist trainer.

Recovery cannot occur alone. It has long been recognized that both partners in a couple are affected by addiction even if only one person in the pair is addicted. When a marriage is affected by addiction each person will have to choose to either work towards a life free from the addiction or call it quits.