When you feel like you’ve lost someone you love to the clutches of addiction, it can cause issues in your life and bring up various difficult emotions that can be very hard to manage. It’s normal to feel resentment and mourn the loss of the person you once knew — but rest assured, they can get better.
Substance use disorders are treatable, and anyone can overcome them with a robust support network and detox treatment. As a wife, you make up the most fundamental component of that support network. This responsibility doesn’t have to weigh you down, and you should never feel responsible for your husband’s condition. Just know that there are ways you can help and specific things to avoid.
Try to Avoid Arguments
There’s no denying that people who struggle with addiction are prone to behaviors that can test your patience. Excessive drug use can have a negative impact on some of the most contentious matters of daily life. Finances, socializing, daily functioning and your loved one’s personality are affected, so many couples fall into the trap of fighting with each other.
It’s incredibly tempting to tell your husband off or chastise him about the way he’s been acting. Often, the addict becomes much more argumentative. You must hone your self-control and resist arguing entirely. It only serves to make your stress levels higher, and it’s more likely to make his problem worse than help him.
Listen and Be Supportive
The main aim for you if your husband is addicted to drugs or alcohol is to get him into a luxury rehab for men. While you can support him, you won’t be able to cure him. To help him make the necessary changes, you’ll need him to feel that you’re on his side. You love him, so of course, you want what’s best for him, but someone with a substance use disorder is susceptible to poor judgment. Listen to how he feels and let him know how much you care about him.
Separate the Person From the Addiction
Your husband may have become distant, quick-tempered, deceptive and isolated as a result of his condition. Being patient and remaining calm yourself is always going to be more constructive than letting your emotions take control of you. Many people find it’s easier to put their resentment and anger into context when they separate the person from the addiction.
A substance use disorder is medically classified as a disease, not a lifestyle choice or display of low morals. By aiming your negative emotions at the destructive condition that has changed you and your partner’s life instead of the man himself, you have a vent for your frustration without taking it out on him.
Gently Persuade Him to Seek Professional Help
Before trying to persuade your husband to do anything, make sure you have done your research. People are far more likely to listen when you frame your suggestions with facts and knowledge of the subject you’re talking about. It’s also a great idea to seek the advice of an expert to ask them for guidance. Call Valley Recovery Center in California today at 866-986-2486 to speak to an advisor about your individual situation.