You can also help your spouse by committing to sober living with them. For example, if your spouse is recovering from alcohol abuse, you can decide to no longer drink socially to show your solidarity. Many different support groups exist for families who’ve dealt with addiction, found through online forums or in your community. For example, Al-Anon Family Groups provides a 12-step program for families and friends of addicts.

Divorce And Addiction: Shocking Impact On Marriage

If the partner living with SUD hasn’t found healthy ways to cope with the trauma or PTSD, then it could begin to affect them in negative ways. But for most couples experiencing substance use, life after sobriety isn’t so smooth. This is because of the way long-term substance use has affected both partners as well as the relationship itself. The caretaking partner in codependent relationships may also assume this unhealthy role in other relationships as well.

• When someone in the family is misusing alcohol, it impacts the entire family system.
• I thought she was selfish because she wasn’t instantly grateful and loving.
• These patients may require intensive 24-hour treatment, especially during the detox period.
• Citing specific reasons like substance abuse can sometimes influence issues like alimony, child custody, and division of assets.
• The road to treatment for your partner may be messy and even painful, but ultimately it will be worth the effort if your partner decides to work towards a healthy, sober life.
• Divorce is a difficult choice to make, and there’s no right or wrong answer.

Lifestyle

She relishes spending time with friends, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, and exploring the great outdoors during milder weather. A Denver native and lifelong Colorado resident, Megan embarked on her academic journey at the University of Northern Colorado. There, she earned dual bachelor’s degrees before pursuing a master’s degree in psychology. During her academic years, she dedicated herself to assisting refugees divorce rates after sobriety fleeing war and violence in their home countries. Beyond her clinical practice at AspenRidge, Courtney finds solace in outdoor activities, sports, reading, and cherishing quality time with her family and beloved dog. Describing her therapeutic approach as evidence-based, Courtney champions a humanistic or person-centered approach as the ideal foundation.

Family and Couples Therapy: Rebuilding Trust

There are numerous other approaches available to those looking to make a change. Treatment success can make a difference, but again, judges will want to make a decision that protects the children. They may be subject to physical, emotional or sexual abuse by the addicted individual. They may try to hide their spouse’s addiction from friends or family members, which can cause a great deal of stress and lead to social isolation. The most impending reason to dissolve a marriage while a spouse is in recovery is often due to the impact the experience has on a couple’s children. Children of those with substance use disorder are more likely to deal with addiction themselves and usually begin to experiment with substances earlier than their peers.

Life after sobriety

Here are some signs that your relationship is being negatively impacted by addiction. Although fidelity and financial issues are often seen as the most common causes of divorce, addiction also creates a major impact on relationships. According to the National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, addiction is a family disease. It takes a toll on each member of a family, and when a family divorces it can be even more difficult to repair these broken relationships.

Wearable Tech For Recovery Boosts Wellbeing With Sleep Insights

When it does, it’s possible to come out on the other side and continue with a loving, thriving relationship. Most often, though, a relationship can’t survive, or at least function well, during addiction. It’s okay to recognize this and make the decision to step away from the relationship in order to seek help. According to pre- pandemic statistics, 82% of adults a year drank alcohol with 49% drinking at least once a week and around 10% of adults drinking on five or more days a week. During Substance abuse the first lockdown in the spring of 2020, more than 28% of people surveyed by Alcohol Change UK said that had consumed more alcohol than usual with heavier drinkers the worse affected. Codependency can continue to affect marriages even after your partner has become sober.

• This period is often when couples face the most significant adjustments and stressors.
• It’s important to remember that addicts can come from all walks of life.

Improving Your Chances with Treatment

Addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a disease that affects a person’s mood and behavior. Addiction leads to an inability to control alcohol, drugs, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ or medication use. Even if a substance or activity is harmful, the person will continue pursuing it. If you decide to divorce, addiction can complicate the legal proceedings and impact important parenting decisions including custody. It’s important for parents to place the safety of their children first, and courts will do this also. We learned so many unexpected lessons in sobriety, and our marriage is surviving.

• Additionally, Courtney obtained certificates in Alcohol and Drug Studies and is certified in Branspotting, a clinical treatment technique aiding individuals in processing trauma.
• For example, Al-Anon Family Groups provides a 12-step program for families and friends of addicts.
• It’s crucial to remember that addiction is a mental illness, not something your partner engages in for trivial or spiteful reasons.

Licenced & Certified by the State Department of Health Care Services

Family and couples therapy can be vital in addressing the underlying issues and rebuilding trust. Programs like the Mayo Clinic’s marital therapy and the renowned Betty Ford Center’s family programs have documented successes in saving marriages from the brink of collapse. These therapeutic frameworks operate under the understanding that addiction affects the entire family, not just the individual suffering from it. Danny has extensive experience in effectively treating incidental and complex trauma.