Addiction is challenging enough on its own when a person struggles with it. But, it’s even more difficult when two people are affected by substance abuse. It could be two people in a relationship, living together, or they could be married.
Couples and Addiction Treatment
So, why is it more difficult when a couple is battling addiction? Well, mostly because it’s a lot harder to break the cycle as one person’s behavior might unknowingly be reinforcing the bad habits/behavior of the other.
Many people enable each other’s addiction in the form of rescuing them or helping them. This makes the cycle go on and on and the harmful behavior continues.
In such a case, enrolling in a couple’s addiction treatment is a wise choice to achieve sobriety, build a healthy relationship, and repair any prior damage.
Codependency and Addiction
Codependency can occur in the form of caretaking and rescuing addiction-related behavior that causes both partners to become increasingly dependent on one another. It becomes worse in couples who cannot develop healthy boundaries when it comes to expressing their needs. As a result, they sacrifice their needs to please/win the other partner.
Because of this vicious cycle, addiction can thrive easily as both need each other not only for the substance but also for the attention and the care they get.
Common signs of codependency in couples battling addiction are –
- Regular arguments over money problems and drug usage
- Avoiding responsibilities
- Using drugs to cope with the stress of a relationship
- The time of using a substance is the only time when couples feel happy
- Physical violence while under the effect of drugs
- Showing overt affection and love while high
- Calling your partner in sick when they are hungover as a way to cover for them
- Increasing isolation from family and friends
Options for Couples Addiction Treatment
Residential Programs
A couples rehab focuses on special aspects of treating addiction and substance abuse for couples who may be living together such as married ones. Whether both are suffering from substance abuse or just one person will determine the nature of the treatment. If both are abusing drugs, the experts will begin the treatment with a drug/alcohol detox program that is medically supervised.
The details of the treatment may vary based on the rehab and the couple’s initial assessment. The treatment program may be different in state-run rehabs compared to standard or luxury rehabs. However, most couples go through detox separately. This is to ensure comfort and safety during withdrawal and to avoid dependence during this phase. Detox prepares both individuals to further their treatment.
After the detox is over, couples can choose to stay either in separate quarters or they can share a room as well. Most residential rehab centers have short-term stay programs which are typically less than a month. You can also opt for longer stays that can range from 60 days to 120 days or even longer.
Successful rehab can result in sustainable abstinence and healthier relationships between couples.
Outpatient Treatment
For couples who feel they have a strong network of family members and friends – outpatient treatment might be a suitable option. You can continue with your regular life while also participating in the program. Outpatient treatment is for people who can’t take a long leave of absence from their work and daily responsibilities.
You get the same treatment as residential programs without having to stay at the facility. Instead, you have to meet for around 2-3 hours every day. Though the treatment is the same, you can go back to attending school, office, and handling daily work.
With outpatient programs, you may not receive a recovery program that is present in addiction treatment centers. Although most medicine and primary care physicians offer long-term therapy using telehealth visits. The important thing to consider with outpatient treatment is the home environment. It should be safe and not tempting to cause relapse. If you’re surrounded by triggers and emotional distress, outpatient treatment might be futile.
Day Treatment/Partial Hospitalization
You can think of partial hospitalization as the middle ground between outpatient and drug rehab programs for couples. Just as with outpatient programs, you can live at home while also receiving treatment. However, the time commitment is bigger in this case.
You can receive the same treatments like detox, medication, therapy, and counseling for 7-8 hours every day. You will work with therapists, psychologists, and doctors during the day visit.
During the evening, participants can attend life skill classes or group therapies like 12-step meetings. This arrangement is good for parents who have family responsibilities and kids to take care of at home.
Behavioral Couples Therapy
A behavioral couples therapy aims to break the toxic patterns that the couple may be in. Furthermore, it focuses on teaching coping mechanisms to fight off urges and temptations so relapses don’t happen. The exact course of treatment will depend on the participants.
For example, sometimes a person needs the motivation to change and may benefit from incentives for remaining abstinent. Couples therapy may also emphasize shifting focus from drugs to more creative activities like painting, arts and crafts, doing yoga, meditation, etc.
Advantages of Couples Addiction Treatment
Couple addiction treatment and therapy carry myriad benefits. Some of them are:
- Reduces chances of relapse
- Encourages long-term and sustainable recovery
- Builds healthier relationship
- Helps to establish healthy boundaries
- Reduces domestic violence
- Healthier relationships and overall increased happiness
- Healthier family dynamics and functioning
- Opens lines of healthy communication, fewer emotional conflicts, and a better environment for raising kids
Please note that in order for a couple’s treatment to be successful, it’s crucial that both partners are fully committed to the recovery and saving the relationship. If not, it could have severe ramifications. Abstinence requires commitment and treatment won’t be successful if that’s lacking.
Bottom Line
A couple’s addiction treatment is generally suitable for all kinds of addictions whether you’re need of treatment for illicit/non-illicit drugs, alcohol addiction treatment, marijuana, OCD and addiction treatment, or something else.
If you are a couple that might benefit from this treatment, seek out the necessary support right away. You could talk with your physician or an addiction expert on how to enroll in a treatment center that specializes in treating couples.