Sometimes, it takes realizing that your marriage is in trouble to accept that you are having a problem with drugs or alcohol. Spouses often bear the brunt of the consequences that come from their partner’s addiction, and it is possible that yours has finally told you that they need to set boundaries. Your spouse might have held an intervention out of sheer concern for your wellbeing, or they may be threatening to leave if you don’t quit using drugs or alcohol.
There is no definite answer regarding your question of whether or not addiction treatment will keep your spouse from divorcing you, but it is highly likely that getting sober will benefit your relationship. Hearing or feeling like your spouse is thinking about ending your marriage is scary.
The thought of losing them could even make you want to drink or use drugs to escape the painful emotions that you feel. However, engaging in unhelpful behaviors will only make the situation worse. Right now, you have an opportunity to do something that could potentially save your marriage. Even if your marriage is too far gone to save, getting sober will help you end it gracefully as you look towards a brighter future no matter what happens. In either case, going to addiction treatment puts you on track for having healthier relationships in general. You deserve to be happy and healthy, and taking the steps to improve your life now makes it possible to revive the bond that you and your spouse share.
Understand How Addiction Destroys Family Relationships
Spouses hold one of the strongest types of relationships that you can find in a family. You and your spouse likely once promised to love and care for each other no matter what life brought your way. While your spouse might have vowed to stick with you through sickness and in health, they might not have anticipated just how painful it is to watch someone fall prey to addiction. Drugs and alcohol cause unpredictable behavior. Your spouse might dislike not being able to hold a coherent conversation with you, or it is possible that they’ve lost faith in you handling your responsibilities in the marriage. If your drug and alcohol addiction is severe, then they may resent you spending so much time away from home.
Or, you might have broken their trust by lying about your whereabouts or how much you are using. Getting into legal trouble or having an overdose may also leave your spouse feeling like they are in over their head with trying to look after your wellbeing. If kids are involved, then your spouse might feel like divorce is the best option to protect them from the impact of your addiction. While all of this might be hard to hear, it is important to look at the effects of an addiction from an honest angle. It is also essential to remember that all of these issues can one day be in the past once you seek help with your addiction.
Work On Healing Your Marriage In an Addiction Treatment Program
Saving your marriage is easier when you work with trained counselors who know how to help you figure out why you keep returning to drugs or alcohol. In addition to treating your coexisting mental health conditions, you’ll be able to work with your partner to improve your relationship using the following services.
- Family counseling that can include your spouse
- Individual therapy to identify your relationships patterns
- Opportunities to learn and practice good communication skills
- Life skills counseling to help regain control over your finances or career
In your addiction treatment program, you’ll also have the chance to learn new things about yourself that make you more interesting to your spouse. Sharing something that you’ve written in your journal or showing them how great you’ve gotten at art or a sport can increase your understanding of each other and give you new sober things to do together.
Strengthen Your Relationship With Continuing Care
During your addiction treatment, you will take the first steps towards saving your marriage. You and your spouse will begin to rediscover all of the things that brought you together in the beginning along with the strengths you’ve developed since then that might have been covered up by the impact of your addiction. Once you return home, you’ll then be given the opportunity to continue to improve your marriage.
Addiction after care programs include family counseling and ongoing group therapy that can help you continue to heal. Are you scared that your spouse is going to divorce you over your addiction? If so, give us a call at 302-842-2390. We’ve helped many couples restore their marriage by helping one or both spouses get into the right addiction treatment program.
