Addiction can damage your life in numerous ways. Much of this damage occurs directly to you in the form of mental and physical health problems. However, the effects of addiction also spread outward to those around you. That includes your spouse or partner, as well as other loved ones. Unless you address addiction’s impact on your key relationships, you may find it challenging to get and stay sober. For this reason, a family therapy program can play an essential role in your sobriety journey.
Addiction and Relationships: The Potential Toll
Serious relationship problems are common among people affected by addiction. Those problems may have begun before the arrival of drug or alcohol abuse. They may also be the result of excessive drinking or drug use.
Why does addiction have a damaging impact on relationships? If you’re addicted, you may have symptoms such as a loss of control over your substance use and a daily routine revolving around drinking or taking drugs. Many people also abandon other activities in favor of substance use.
The result of these problems is typically a reduced focus on maintaining important relationships. In a worst-case scenario, you may start disregarding these relationships altogether.
Wives, children, and other loved ones will almost certainly be affected by this shift in priorities. Potential consequences of this kind of situation include:
- Financial hardships
- A generally chaotic home environment
- Lack of trust
- Frequent arguments or other communication problems
- Violent behavior or abusive behaviors
How Family Therapy Can Help
Family therapy can help you strengthen your relationships as part of the recovery process. This therapy involves you and other members of your family. It does not matter if that family is biological or chosen. The bulk of the therapy takes place in group sessions. These sessions allow your family members to express how your substance problems have affected them. They also allow you to talk about the impact that your family may have on your substance use.
A trained therapist guides these conversations. The goal is not simply an airing of views. Your therapist will also ask you to take the steps needed to change the situation for the better. This means that all participants must actively listen, as well as express their own perspectives. It also means that you and your family must find ways to break harmful patterns and start healing together. Your therapist will show you how to do these things as the therapy progresses.
The Importance of Making Amends
Making amends within your relationships can be crucial to your chances of recovering from addiction. When you do so, you can start rebuilding trust and re-establishing the lines of communication. You also make it possible to reap the benefits of solid family support during your recovery.
This is a key point. Research shows that family support can be the make-or-break factor for many people. Without help from your family, the odds of reaching your sobriety goals can drop. On the other hand, with that help, your prospects for a stable recovery may rise substantially.
Learn More About Addiction and Relationships at Northpoint Colorado
Are you concerned about the impact of addiction on you and your loved ones? Talk to the experts at Northpoint Colorado. We’ll help you identify the potential signs of serious, addiction-related relationship damage.
Northpoint Colorado is also your source for comprehensive family therapy. Along with other elements of your recovery plan, this therapy may make it easier for you to complete treatment successfully. It may also make it easier for you to meet your long-term sobriety goals. For more information on family therapy at Northpoint Colorado, call us today at 888.231.1281. The same information is available through our online form.
