How Does Couples Addiction Therapy Work?

When one person is battling addiction in a relationship, both partners can be affected by the pain and suffering that results from substance abuse.

There can be lying and communication struggles during this time. Addiction can completely destroy a relationship if nothing is done to make amends, as well as properly treat the disease. Helping your partner through addiction treatment can include participating in couple’s addiction therapy, which will ultimately allow you to heal together and strengthen your relationship during the recovery phase. Our drug and alcohol treatment center in Chicago provides individualized addiction treatment programs for those who suffer, and we can help mend broken relationships along the way. Couple’s therapy for addiction is similar to a normal therapy session for partners; however, there are certain aspects that really hone in on how the addiction has affected both people.

Discover Enabling Issues

During couples therapy, both partners will learn about enabling behaviors and how to avoid them, especially during addiction treatment. Enabling your partner’s drug habits can include lending them money, constantly covering up for them, and even lying for them. Couples addiction therapy works to get rid of these behaviors, as well as strengthen communication skills.

Work Through the Issues Stemmed from Addiction

There can be many emotional issues that were created as a result of substance abuse, and therapy will allow both partners to feel comfortable expressing their emotions and how they were personally affected. Talking through these issues with a therapist in a safe space is important for the relationship to mend and move forward.

How to Move Forward

Now that both individuals have put all their emotions on the table, it’s time to establish how the relationship can move forward in the healthiest way possible. There needs to be work put in from both partners in order to set the foundation for a happy future.

It’s possible to mend an unhealthy relationship even when addiction is present. Couples addiction therapy will allow both partners to grow through the recovery process.