Can A Relationship Survive Rehab?
Rebuilding Your Relationship After Alcohol or Drug Treatment
We get it. Problems in interpersonal relationships are a common fallout from drug and alcohol abuse. Substance abuse affects not just the person struggling, but also family members, friends, and romantic partners.
Addiction recovery can also lead to deep personal transformation and other changes that can impact romantic partnerships. This leads some people to ask–can a relationship survive rehab?
From personal experiences and client stories, we have found that in many cases, addiction recovery is healing for personal relationships, even if it takes time.
The choice to go to addiction treatment is a positive one, and it can save your life. However, attending rehab can entail living away from home, which means spending time away from your partner.
Icarus Behavioral Health New Mexico is versed in helping people from all walks of life overcome addiction. One of the areas we often focus on with clients is relationship repair, especially since positive social connections are critical for the recovery process.
Can a Relationship Survive Rehab?
First and foremost, all relationships are different. Entering rehab with a healthy relationship can be a very different experience compared to going away for addiction treatment while in an unhealthy one.
With that being said, romantic relationships can definitely survive rehab. In many cases, getting sober–refraining from drinking or drug use–is what saves romantic relationships. We see positive relationships start to thrive as people progress in recovery, even if there are hurdles along the way.
How Active Addiction Affects Romantic Relationships
While long-term recovery tends to help relationships, active addiction tends to hurt them. Here are some of the potential negative consequences of addiction on relationships.
- Financial problems. Financial issues are common consequences of substance abuse. They can also emerge in behavioral addictions, like gambling addiction.
- Legal problems. Legal problems resulting from drug or alcohol abuse can impact all areas of life, including familial and romantic partnerships.
- People experiencing drug or alcohol abuse may lie to others to hide their addiction. This can impact trust in romantic relationships.
Addiction is not a moral failing. Seeking help is a way to reclaim your power. Building a supportive network is imperative in addiction recovery, and romantic partners often play a significant role in that support network.
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The Role of Couples Therapy in Addiction Treatment
In family therapy sessions for addiction, clients sit down with a therapist and their family members. During these sessions, clients and their loved ones often work toward goals such as repairing a broken relationship or learning how to establish a healthy, mutually supportive connection moving forward.
Couples therapy sessions for addiction are similar. People in a good relationship can still benefit from couples therapy. In addiction recovery, couples tend to work on things such as the following. However, note that you and your partner will set your own unique goals in couples therapy.
Rebuilding Trust in Romantic Partnerships
It can take time to rebuild trust following addiction. When relationship repair is viable, couples therapy can help you rebuild a sense of trust and closeness.
Establishing Healthy Boundaries
Healthy boundaries are a big deal in addiction recovery. Often, this is true both for the person in addiction recovery and the people around them. A couples therapist can help you and your partner explore what your boundaries are and how to stick to them.
Learning About Addiction
To better support the addicted partner, accurate education on addiction matters. Often, couples therapy sessions for substance abuse will involve some level of addiction education. This will usually include what to expect during the recovery process and how to support a loved one’s continued sobriety at home.
Working Through Codependency and Enablement
Sometimes, codependency and enablement can show up in romantic partnerships affected by addiction. If you find that you:
- Make excuses for a partner. Some loved ones of people struggling with addiction will make excuses for them, which may (albeit unintentionally) enable addiction.
- Take care of the consequences of addiction for your partner. For example, giving financial support, even if there are negative consequences to doing so.
- Struggle to follow through with boundaries. For example, you may have trouble saying “no” to a partner.
A treatment professional can help you through these concerns. Remember that these things are common relationship issues for couples facing addiction. Being honest with a therapist and putting in the work is the best thing you can do.
Effective Communication Techniques
Effective communication techniques are critical for all couples. You might work on developing skills such as effective communication for conflict resolution, healthy ways to request space when needed, or how to discuss issues that impact your emotional well-being with your partner.
Affection and Quality Time
Part of rebuilding a relationship after rehab will likely include affection and quality time. When your partner is in active addiction, your relationship may start to lack things like verbal displays of affection and quality time. It will be critical to rekindle these parts of your relationship. A therapist can help you restore your emotional connection.
How Couples Therapy is Used in Addiction Treatment
The addiction treatment programs at Icarus in New Mexico are comprehensive. While couples and family therapy sessions are part of our programs, they are used in conjunction with other treatments, including but not limited to individual therapy, group therapy sessions, recreational activities, and mind-body wellness.
We take a whole-person approach to addiction treatment and involve loved ones when possible.
What to Expect When a Partner Attends Rehab
Assuming that your loved one is going to inpatient rehab, you can usually expect that a program will last about 30 to 60 days, although some people stay in residential and patient treatment for longer. Depending on the center your partner attends, if couples therapy and family therapy are involved in the program, these sessions may be virtual or in-person.
Rules regarding visiting and phone calls can also vary from one treatment center to another.
You and your partner will get more information about what to expect prior to their admissions date. This will include things like what they are allowed to bring to rehab. They will undergo an intake evaluation prior to the treatment process, which will enable the Icarus New Mexico team to better understand their needs.
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What are the Levels of Care Offered at Icarus New Mexico?
Icarus Behavioral Health New Mexico offers multiple levels of care. These include:
- Our detox program helps clients get off drugs and alcohol safely when they first enter treatment. Drug and alcohol withdrawal syndromes can be severe, and even dangerous, in some cases. Therefore, this step is crucial for many individuals in the early stages of their recovery journey.
- Inpatient rehab. If they intend to go to inpatient rehab at Icarus New Mexico, your partner will live on-site at our center for the duration of the program. They’ll follow an immersive treatment schedule during the day, with limited free time.
- Partial hospitalization program (PHP). Our PHP involves five days of treatment per week, with therapy hours similar to those of an inpatient rehab program. However, clients are able to live off-site, whether at home or in sober housing.
- Intensive outpatient. Our intensive outpatient program (IOP) involves attending Icarus New Mexico a few days per week. It’s more intensive than typical outpatient therapy, but one step below PHP.
We help all clients make custom aftercare plans before they leave. Your partner’s aftercare plan may include continued therapy and other measures that support a successful recovery as they move forward.
The Importance of Self-Care for Individuals and Loved Ones
What if you’re in a relationship with someone who has a problem with drug or alcohol use? You must take care of your own needs, too. Here are some things you can do.
- Support groups for loved ones of those facing addiction. Groups like Al-Anon (if your loved one has alcoholism) or Nar-Anon are open to partners of addicted persons.
- Individual counseling. It can be beneficial to seek professional help for yourself. Working with a therapist of your own can give you a safe space to talk about anything that’s on your mind and explore healthy coping mechanisms for things like stress relief.
- Healthy routines. Maintaining healthy routines, like getting sufficient sleep, can help you sustain your physical and emotional well-being during stressful times.
Addiction affects not just the person going through it, but those around them. Check in with yourself and make sure that you have what you need mentally, physically, and socially.
What if We Decide to Break Up Following Rehab?
Let’s say that you are the partner with a drug or alcohol addiction. Although recovery can facilitate relationship repair, it is also possible that it can lead to a breakup. That’s not always a bad thing. What if you decide to break up with your partner after rehab?
Here are some factors to consider:
- How you’ll change. You might experience a great deal of personal growth in rehab. In some cases, this leads people to leave a relationship for several reasons. Maybe, you discover something new about yourself, and the relationship is no longer the right fit.
- Whether your partner engages in problematic drinking or drug use. If your partner also struggles with addiction and does not want to get help, it’s important to choose yourself.
- Unhealthy relationships. One of the most crucial things that treatment for addiction and mental health disorders can do for a person is repair the relationship they have with themselves. Many people find that their self-esteem and awareness improve following rehab. If you are in a relationship that isn’t healthy for you for any reason, the self-reflective nature of treatment could mean that you ultimately decide to leave.
Don’t let the fear of what will happen to your relationships stop you from going to rehab. Addressing addiction is crucial for your well-being.
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Call Icarus in New Mexico for Proven Rehab Support
Icarus Behavioral Health New Mexico is an accredited treatment center specializing in addiction, mental health, and dual-diagnosis services. Located in Albuquerque, we are versed in helping individuals, families, and couples heal from addiction and its effects.
For more information regarding our programs, call Icarus Behavioral Health New Mexico today. Whether you reach out for yourself or your loved one, our team is here to help.
FAQs Regarding Relationships and Substance Abuse Treatment
Can a relationship recover after addiction?
Absolutely. Many people notice that their relationship is better after they get help for their addiction. Although it requires awareness and work, all relationships do. Seek the help of a mental health professional, and understand that you don’t have to go through this process alone.
How to cope when your partner goes to rehab?
If your partner is going to rehab, it’s vital to take care of yourself. Most treatment programs, including ours, will involve loved ones in treatment to some degree. Although it is a time of change, it is a positive one.
How do I support my partner after rehab?
You can help your partner make the transition from treatment to a sober lifestyle. Keeping the home drug and alcohol-free and understanding that addiction recovery takes time–the process is not over once someone returns from rehab–can help.
Will my relationship survive rehab?
Your relationship is unique to you, and there is technically no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. However, many relationships survive rehab—and even thrive after it.
Can you have a healthy relationship with a recovering addict?
Yes. Substance use disorders are mental health conditions, and addiction is a treatable disease. You can be a healthy part of your loved ones’ support system. Setting boundaries and sticking to them is important, and there are other things you may need to work through, but it is more than possible to have a healthy relationship with someone who is in recovery or has recovered.
Can I stage a drug intervention for a romantic partner?
Yes. Romantic partners can stage interventions for a partner with a substance use disorder. Icarus Behavioral Health New Mexico can support you through the intervention process.
Is substance abuse more prevalent in people who have been through intimate partner violence (IPV)?
Yes. Not everyone with an addiction goes through IPV. However, substance misuse is common in those who have experienced IPV, and IPV can be associated with greater symptom severity.
