If you’re the loved one of someone who’s going through rehab or you’re thinking about entering a treatment program yourself, a big question you have on your mind likely is: Do relationships get better after rehab? For many families and friends, drug or alcohol addiction can be catastrophic. The more you love someone, the more difficult it is to watch them get increasingly fixated on a harmful substance and gradually self-destruct while their physical and mental health suffers. As the people the sufferer loves become frustrated, they feel more guilty and ashamed, which exacerbates the whole problem, and the cycle continues.
Residential rehab can put an end to this cycle by gently teaching the person experiencing a substance use disorder about themselves and helping them to develop healthy coping mechanisms. They’re removed from the home for a while, giving them a chance to start anew. A counselor usually invites close family members to take part in therapy sessions, so everyone involved has the opportunity to express their feelings and learn to communicate together effectively.
Do Relationships Get Better After Rehab?
When someone first leaves alcohol or drug rehab, they’re going to be in a fragile headspace for at least a few months. An enormous change has taken place, and the initial period after they’ve completed treatment is crucial. One of the best things about inpatient rehab is that they get into a consistent daily routine. Family members and loved ones should do everything they can to support them as they maintain structure in their lives, attend work or school and continue attending support groups throughout their addiction recovery process.
While recovering addicts may be enthusiastic about starting new ventures before this point, try to encourage them to wait until they’ve been home for three to six months. By then, you’ll notice they have returned to their old selves and then some. They’ll be ready to get back on track to chasing their hopes, dreams and ambitions. Without the social, financial and physical burdens of substance abuse, the home will be happier and therapy should facilitate healthy channels of communication.
Spouses
Addiction can be particularly strenuous on the romantic relationships between spouses. The nonaddicted partner may have suffered from being codependent, in which case they should definitely seek to attend a support group separately from their husband or wife. If they managed to keep a healthy distance from the condition, they would still have had to cope with the financial and emotional burden of seeing someone they love damaging themselves. As long as you have strong communication skills and aren’t harboring resentment, your relationship with your partner can go from strength to strength after rehab.
Children
Some children are too young to fully understand what’s going on when Mom or Dad goes to rehab, but teens and adult children will be acutely aware of the situation. If they’re old enough to understand, speak openly and honestly with them as a family. Answer their questions and educate them on the perils of addiction. If you’ve been preoccupied with addiction, they’ll be grateful that you have more time for them when you finish rehab. A huge driving force to help prevent relapse for you as a parent will be not wanting to miss out on any more of their lives.
Parents
For younger people or those still living with their parents, this relationship may have been under serious pressure as a result of addiction. Parents are naturally extraordinarily protective and can panic when their beloved child suffers from addiction. Codependency is relatively common, and they should seek group or individual therapy to help deal with their emotions. The change they see in their offspring once they’ve successfully completed a rehab problem can be beautiful. Addiction treatment centers can give someone who seemed to be lost their life back and get them back on track to living their dreams.
Is Your Relationship Hurting Your Recovery?
Disclaimer: This screening is not designed to make a diagnosis or take the place of a professional diagnosis
consultation. Use this brief screening tool to help determine if further action is recommended.
For help in selecting the proper level of treatment in your area please contact our office.
Therapy Helps to Put You on the Same Page
Family therapy is a revelation for many people who go through treatment and their families. It helps to teach them about the nature of addiction as a disease, as well as guiding the person suffering from addiction to a position where they can see how their behavior impacts others. This is done in a manner that means they don’t feel blamed or responsible for other people so they can learn how to take responsibility for their own behavior and actions.
Family therapy helps in numerous ways, but three key areas bring families together and assist the improvement of relationships after rehab and long into the future.
Mediation
Mediation is incredibly useful for families who have had someone suffering from addiction among their ranks. Each person must have the opportunity to express how they feel, but there is a constructive way of doing it and a harmful way of doing it.
A counselor oversees family therapy sessions and guides each person, giving them a chance to pour out their feelings but pointing out when it gets negative. As time goes on, you’ll start to understand how to have these discussions in a healthy, nonconfrontational way and establish clear boundaries.
The Power of Communication
Some things are difficult, embarrassing and painful to talk about. Rehab helps to teach residents that these conversations are usually the ones we need to have. Not speaking to each other or addressing issues can lead to resentment and unresolved conflict, which generally leads to explosive arguments later on. By learning to communicate how you feel as it happens, you can seriously strengthen and form healthy relationships with your loved ones.
Understanding Brings Peace
For the person going through the alcohol or drug addiction, their behavior is a significant source of frustration. It often leads to shame, blame and anger at the fact they haven’t been able to control their addiction alone. In many cases, this gets taken out on the people around them. Rehab helps you understand yourself and dissolve those frustrations. As a result, someone who completes a stint in rehab often ends up treating their family much better than they did before.
Residential Rehab for Men in Agua Dulce, California
Going through an addiction treatment program can change your life. You’ll learn new life skills, gain a deeper understanding of yourself and develop your ability to communicate. Once you’re free from drugs or alcohol, you’re in a much better position to chase your dreams. Being focused on your goals and more in control of your emotions can be incredibly beneficial for your interpersonal relationships. To find out more about family therapy at Valley Recovery Center, call us today at 866-986-2486.