If your loved one suffers from an addiction problem, you're both going to need help. Addictions can destroy a couple, especially if both parties aren't willing to step up and work together to overcome the problem. If your partner's addiction counselor has recommended couples therapy, don't be offended. They aren't trying to point the finger or blame at you. They're trying to facilitate healing so that you can both overcome the struggles that addiction can cause. Here are three ways that couple's therapy can help you and your partner overcome an addiction.
Partners Need Help
When a loved one suffers from an addiction, all other problems can be pushed aside to deal with the elephant in the room – the addiction. That means that the needs of the partner become secondary to the needs of the addict. Unfortunately, so do the underlying relationship problems. Couples therapy works to deal with the problems that are affecting the couple as a whole. Therapy works to provide support for both parties, allowing them to find resources that are available to them. Couples therapy also serves to give the partner a voice in the process of overcoming the addiction.
Reduce the Effects of Enabling
If your loved one suffers from an addiction, you could be enabling them without even knowing it. This process of enabling turns into a vicious cycle of relapse and recovery, with full recovery never being fulfilled. Sadly, you might not even realize that your behavior is allowing your partner to continue their addiction. Couples therapy helps you identify the patterns of enabling and provides you with tools to overcome the habits. Here are just few of the ways you could be enabling your partner.
- Covering up the problems
- Cleaning up the messes created by the addiction
- Lending money
- Assuming responsibility for the other person
Work Through Emotional Issues
Addictions can cause emotional turmoil in a relationship. Whether it's the emotional problems that lead to the addiction or vice versa, the emotional issues associated with the addiction can destroy a relationship. Couples therapy will help you deal with the emotional issues associated with the addiction, including underlying mental health problems that might have caused the addiction or stressful events that might have caused a relapse.
If your loved one has a substance abuse problem, you need to work together to overcome the problems and heal the relationship. If your relationship is in trouble, you need to speak to a couple's therapist as soon as possible.
For couple's therapy, contact an organization such as ACC Arizona counseling.
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