- Feb 7
- AddictionAlcohol Addiction Treatment
When you walked down the aisle and recited your vows, you swore to stick with your partner through sickness, health, sadness and happiness. But you never imagined how hard it would be to live with an addicted spouse. When your partner is addicted to alcohol or drugs, you may feel helpless, scared and even angry. But giving up is not an option. Getting help to save your spouse and marriage is the best thing to do. At Gateway, we help spouses recover from substance abuse and lead healthy, sober lives to save their marriages.
Here’s What You Should Know About Addiction
Before calling it quits and giving up on your spouse, it’s essential to understand a few things about addiction itself and the struggles of being with someone who is an addict.
Addiction is a disease. It has no switch to turn it on and off as you wish. It’s a complex problem that requires comprehensive solutions as well as a customized treatment plan for long-lasting recovery. You can’t stop it overnight.
Your spouse’s alcohol or drug abuse did not begin out of anywhere. Before substance abuse becomes an addiction, it can take years to develop. And the sober spouse won’t likely notice it until the addiction takes root. At that point, there will likely be obvious problems in the marriage, such as conflicts that aren’t resolved, money missing from joint bank accounts, job loss, accidents and other injuries. In most cases, the sober spouse will try to solve these problems without knowing that the real culprit behind them is an addiction.
At its worst, addiction can lead to abuse towards the spouse or children. For example, an alcoholic husband may lose all his reasoning ability and begin to beat his wife or kids. Similarly, a meth-intoxicated wife may try to kill her husband or children during a paranoia.
Ultimately, if addiction is not discovered and treated, it may put your entire family at risk of lawsuits due to legal and financial problems. For example, if one spouse drives under the influence and causes an accident, your family could lose everything, including your savings, property, house and any other valuable assets.
Get Help Before It’s Too Late
The best thing to do if your spouse is dealing with an addiction problem is to seek help from professionals at a rehab facility. With a spouse whose addiction is getting out of control, you won’t manage to get them out of that rabbit hole all alone. You’ll need outside help at one point or the other.
Individual and family counseling, as well as legal, financial and life coaching, will come in handy. Also, talk therapy on how you can help your spouse overcome addiction can be very helpful. What you’re going through is bigger than both of you, and seeking professional help is very important.
To talk to a qualified addiction therapist who can help you and your spouse break the chain of substance abuse, contact our addiction recovery center today at 877-352-9566, or reach out to us on our contact page.
