Relationship Recovery Is Critical for Addiction Recovery

how to have healthy relationships in recovery

Healthy relationships bring out the best in both parties, and are a safe space for their fears. While some relationships are based on circumstances over which you have little or no control, you do have choices in establishing relationships that provide support and nurture you. Cultivating and maintaining supportive relationships takes time and energy.

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Maybe it is attending a weekly support group or AA meeting to focus on sobriety. Or you can practice being compassionate by performing an act of love each day. Talking about our feelings and sharing our personal needs can put us in a vulnerable state. In order to remove the fear of judgement and assumptions, use “I” statements, stick to the facts, and keep the conversation about your experience rather than focusing on the other person. An example might be, “I feel lonely when I am by myself on my birthday” followed by “I would really like to spend my next birthday with you” or “maybe I will arrange a get together next year.”

Listen and Validate Feelings

Healthy relationships can help individuals struggling with addiction to avoid negative attachments to people who bring out the worst in them. Engaging in toxic relationships can create feelings of frustration, unnecessary stress, and conflict. romantic relationships in recovery These feelings can lead of increased use of alcohol and substance abuse. Unfortunately, people with addiction are inclined to isolate, effectively cutting themselves off from the health-enhancing effects of social and emotional support.

how to have healthy relationships in recovery

Those with an addiction—and their loved ones—must establish shared expectations.

  • In recovering from substance abuse and addiction, repairing damaged relationships and rebuilding trust can be a significant challenge.
  • It’s about proving that you are consistently taking steps to ensure that the hurtful behaviors do not recur.
  • Lumina Recovery provides group therapy and family therapy where learning how to work on relationships is a priority.
  • Part of this process is accepting that repairing the damage your addiction has done to your relationships will only happen gradually over time—based on what you do rather than what you say.

But the absence of intimacy and romantic feelings can leave you feeling less like marriage partners, and more like roommates. You cancel a date night with your partner or spouse to stay late at work. When you get home, you’re too tired to talk, so you sit in front of the TV until it’s time for bed.

Therapist or Counselor

how to have healthy relationships in recovery

Answer some general questions about how you feel about food, your current eating habits, how you feel after you eat, and other indicators of an eating disorder. Any activity that makes you feel good about yourself is self nurturing and can help you work through problems or issues without relying on your partner to make you feel better. Essentially, holding your boundaries is the act of sticking up for yourself, and recognizing that sometimes your needs are more important than the needs or wants of others. Setting boundaries in recovery is just one of the tools that can help you along the path and can free you from taking on all the world’s problems as your own.

  • The relationship can slowly start to erode, with neither spouse wanting to put the time or interest into nurturing the emotional intimacy that the marriage needs.
  • If your significant other is present in your life and cares for you, it’s important not to solely depend on them for your happiness.
  • Each side should calmly explain their needs and respect the other person’s feelings.
  • While some relationships are based on circumstances over which you have little or no control, you do have choices in establishing relationships that provide support and nurture you.

If your significant other is present in your life and cares for you, it’s important not to solely depend on them for your happiness. Dependency on another person can drive a partner away because it can be overwhelming for them to be overly concerned with you. I perceived him as an accomplished executive with a relational leadership style appreciated by his colleagues. If your partner has addictive behaviors, read about the grip of addiction and how hard it is to break. The most important thing to remember about setting boundaries is to be clear and assertive. You need to express your boundaries out loud, and not leave room for them to be changed or modified.

Embrace Support Groups and Recovery Programs

Moreover, healthy relationships can also contribute to improved self-esteem and self-worth, factors that are often compromised due to addiction. Struggling with addiction can also lower motivation and cause depression, anxiety, and fatigue. These symptoms can make someone seem unreliable, https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/drug-use-in-sports-risks-you-have-to-know/ irresponsible, or uncaring. Substance abuse and addiction can lead to behaviors that are not helpful to relationships, such as increased self-focus or selfishness, avoidance, persistent irritability, or withdrawal. These changes can damage the sense of closeness in relationships.

how to have healthy relationships in recovery

Toxic communication in a relationship often involves sarcasm, criticism, and contempt, which can be predictors of relationship breakdown. Moreover, envy and jealousy can become problematic if they prevent you from thinking positively about your partner’s successes or lead to constant suspicion and mistrust [2]. In codependency, we focus on how someone else can meet our needs rather than focusing on how to take care of ourselves. It’s important to understand that being “self-focused” is not about being selfish. When we practice self-care, whether that is getting enough sleep, good nourishment, exercise, connection with others and spiritual growth, we are more resilient.

How Addiction Impacts Relationships

how to have healthy relationships in recovery

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