Married to an Addict

Because individuals change over time, relationships also change. It’s a natural occurrence. But sometimes, a person in a relationship changes because of the influence of a substance use disorder. This can feel alienating to those around the individuals who care for them. Friends, loved ones, and family can all experience estrangement. Addiction doesn’t just affect the person struggling with drug or alcohol dependency; it also impacts those closes to them, usually their spouse. It can be shocking and difficult to discover if your partner is dealing with a substance use disorder or addiction. If you are married to an addict, you are more likely to deal with arguments, domestic violence, and financial problems. You can also have issues trusting your spouse, which can damage your marriage or relationship, which is why you may need couples addiction therapy in Florida.

Addiction is a family disease that doesn’t discriminate. Regardless of your age, gender, background, and socioeconomic status, you can develop a substance abuse disorder. It impairs your judgment and increases the amount of conflict you experience.

Addiction in a Spouse

Addiction is a chronic disease that alters your mood, perception, and brain chemistry. Whenever you use drugs or alcohol, your brain releases more neurotransmitters than it should. Neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA are chemicals that cause positive emotions and relaxation. The process leads to your brain associating drugs and alcohol with pleasure, which changes your pleasure and reward center. Your brain rewards your drug and alcohol use by releasing neurotransmitters and restricting their release when you don’t use them.

The neurotransmitter imbalances cause intense cravings whenever you don’t use them, making recovering from addiction without help very difficult. You can continue to abuse drugs and alcohol compulsively even if you want to quit or experience harmful consequences resulting from your use.

Addiction can:

• Lead to financial problems, debt, and unpaid bills
• Damage your personal and familial relationships
• Worsen underlying medical and mental health disorders
• Result in employment and housing issues
• Decrease your quality of life and standard of living

Are You Married to an Addict?

If your spouse is an addict, it can cause significant problems in your relationship. During addiction, your spouse can deplete savings accounts and divert finances to feed their addiction, leading to damaging consequences.

It also impacts children and family members because families with a struggling substance abuse disorder are more likely to fight and separate. Therefore, when your spouse agrees to attend treatment, all family members must receive help. Couples addiction therapy in Florida is a way for partners to work together during recovery, ensuring that open lines of communication are established and fostered.

Couples therapy can also provide a safe and supportive environment to express your concerns and needs. During treatment and recovery, it is important to discuss individual and collective goals and establish healthy boundaries. It is important to encourage your partner to find help to have the tools and skills necessary to recover.

Find Help Today at Beaches Recovery

During drug addiction treatment, it is important to take an active role in couples and marital counseling to ensure that everyone impacted by addiction has a strong support network. Other therapies can help couples who are struggling against the disease of addiction. At Beaches Recovery, we offer a wide range of therapies so that clients have the options they deserve to get to the heart of their issues. Some of our therapies include:

• Individual therapy
• Group therapy
• Family therapy
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• EMDR therapy
• Trauma therapy
• PTSD therapy
• Experiential therapy
• Equine-assisted therapy
• Nutrition therapy
• Yoga therapy

Contact Beaches Recovery at 866.605.0532, or contact us online today to learn more about your treatment options.