How Couples Counseling Supplements Addiction Treatment
Couples in recovery face a long journey. The effects of drug abuse on family relationships are significant and the process of healing from these effects takes effort and commitment. Issues such as intimacy in alcoholic relationships are common and require the rebuilding of trust and connection. Even when one person has addiction issues in the relationship, both people can benefit from couples counseling to address the injuries that the addiction caused. In addition to the personal journey of recovery, the individual struggling with addiction must also work through relationship challenges. Couples counseling can help non-addicted partners learn more about addiction and ways to avoid enabling. It can also be helpful to learn ways to take care of oneself and to keep perspective on the illness.
Benefits of Involving Significant Others
The benefits of couples therapy during recovery are extensive, not only for the person recovering from addiction but for the partner who has also been injured by the effects of the addiction. Couples in recovery meetings who are dealing with alcoholism in a relationship are well aware of the challenges that lie ahead. Discussing these challenges and obtaining support gives couples an opportunity to feel connected to others and less isolated by their challenges. It also unifies the couple and enables them to have difficult conversations that might otherwise be avoided.