Deciding which is a challenging choice for anyone.
Marriage and addiction recovery.
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.
Seeking professional addiction recovery care is the first step towards a healthy resolution which will look different for each couple.
The spouse must turn to filling a life that may have been consumed by addiction and the vagaries and needs of the addict.
Research has found that excessive alcohol or drug abuse is the third most common reason why for divorce.
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.
However marriage becomes rocky within months after a person begins to battle addiction.
Addiction takes a tremendous toll on a marriage or long term relationship and in many cases can lead to divorce or a break up.
Recovery cannot occur alone.
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.
While it might sound pat with hindsight it is often evident that these kinds of make or break.
If the spouse has been in recovery then this process has already begun.
Couples working through addiction should take advantage of couples or family counseling.
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.
Third once you have dealt honestly with your addiction complete with accountability then you can work on your marriage.
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.
But sometimes one or both partners are confused or offended by the suggestion that they should have counseling for relationship.
A marriage will need to heal in much the same way as the recovering addict.
And research shows that couples counseling can help with addiction as well as the relationship problems that go along with it.
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.
