What is Couple’s Addiction Rehab and is it a Good Idea?
The first step towards a life of total abstinence and recovery can be difficult for anyone battling addiction. For couples actively using together, asking for help comes with its own set of challenges.
If only one individual in the relationship is ready to commit to treatment, the likelihood of the other achieving long-term recovery is unlikely.
Although there may be several risk factors for couples who complete drug rehab treatment together, those deeply committed to their relationship and well-being have the potential of living a balanced and fulfilling life together in recovery.
Couples and substance abuse
For the healthiest, committed and, loving couple, the stressors of “life on life’s terms” can often create strain and disharmony within an intimate relationship. When adding substance abuse to the mix, issues can become magnified, driving a couple further into the depths of addiction.
What are the risks if addiction is left untreated?
- When the use of drugs and alcohol is the focal point of a romantic relationship, emotions and tension can become elevated and overwhelming, leading to conflict and distance between a couple. If the relationship’s existing issues are left unresolved, it can drive the individuals to use more and furthering their chances of achieving long-term recovery.
- When substance abuse becomes uncontrollable, the consequences can cause significant damage to familial relationships. The substance abusers may find themselves completely isolated from family members; a family may decide to cut ties due to toxic behaviour and, children may be removed from the home by child services.
- Members of the relationship may not be in a position to maintain employment due to their substance use, which gives way to financial problems. These can include mortgage and vehicle foreclosure, asking for loans from family and friends, selling sentimental and valuable items or theft.
Couple’s Addiction Rehab, an empowering option
Treatment options for couples that would like to attend addiction rehab together are minimal. Most treatment programs centre on an individualised process towards a new life in recovery.
Attending a rehab together is dependent on the couples history with substance abuse and whether or not they are both ready to embark on a new way to live. For the committed and willing, couples rehab can be healing and strengthening journey.
The benefits of attending a rehab facility together can include:
- Learning about addiction and how it affects the individual as well as the relationship.
- Individual therapy as well as couple’s therapy to work through the underlying issues that exacerbate substance abuse.
- Learning to have boundaries, coping skills and resiliency and how to implement them in daily life.
- How to maintain individual recovery whilst supporting each other’s recovery.
Risks to be considered:
- One member of the relationship is not ready or willing to give up substances.
- There is ongoing domestic abuse within the relationship.
- Co-dependency may cause an individual to be too passive to participate in the program which results in the individual becoming too focused on their partner’s recovery and not focused on themselves enough to benefit from their time in rehab.
How does Couple’s rehab work
While treatment and recovery is often an individualised process, couple’s rehab programs take a ‘couple centred’ approach to treat substance abuse disorders. For a ‘couple’s centred’ approach to be beneficial and successful, commitment and willingness from both individuals are required.
Once admitted into the rehab facility, a couple will begin a medically supervised detox. The length of a medical detox will be dependent on their substance abuse history.
Once detox is completed, couples are gently integrated into the therapeutic inpatient community for 30, 60 or 90 days. A treatment plan designed by the clinical team will focus on individualised healing and recovery, as well as the relationship.
A couple’s treatment program may look like this:
Individualised recovery treatment plan
- Individual therapy with a certified counsellor and psychologist will enable the client to address and heal from the impact of their past and addiction.
- Group therapy sessions with or without their significant other.
- 12 step meeting attendance can encourage clients to focus on maintaining individual recovery by connecting with members of fellowship on their own.
- Creating an individualised relapse prevention plan, which can strengthen the clients’ likelihood of avoiding relapse in the case of relational conflict or relationship breakdown.
A United recovery treatment plan
- Couples therapy with a certified counsellor or psychologist will be a platform where clients can learn and practise setting boundaries, resolving conflict, increasing communication and understanding, coping with triggers and implementing new tools to prevent relapse.
- Dependent on the needs of the couple, the clinical team may use therapeutic methods such as Alcohol Behavioural Couples Therapy and Behavioural Couples Therapy to reprogram their relationship with substances and heal dysfunctional behaviours that can lead to further abuse.
- Attending Recovering Couples Anonymous (RCA) meetings together to begin forming supportive relationships with other recovering couples.
Ongoing care and recovery for Couples
Attending and completing couples rehab is a courageous and crucial step for committed and willing couples looking to live a substance-free life. The journey does not end on graduation day.
Through ongoing therapy, 12 step support group attendance, aftercare programs provided by their treatment facility and their relapse prevention plan, couples can maximise their chances of remaining together and sober.
How Seasons Rehab can help you and your loved one
The team at Seasons Bali has carefully curated a drug and alcohol program dedicated solely to couples seeking recovery from alcohol, drugs or, other addictions. Our Couples-Centered Program, facilitated by a dedicated team of professionals, aims to break the cycle of addiction and co-dependency, improve relational dynamics and harmful behaviour and implement coping strategies to prevent relapse and achieve long-term recovery.
The team at Seasons Bali recently launched a smartphone application called ‘SeasonsCare’, accessible to clients who complete treatment in our addiction rehab. Seasons Rehab understands how crucial the first few months out of treatment can be for those new to recovery. The SeasonsCare app is the platform of which clients will participate in a twelve-week Aftercare Program, where we provide access to support staff and recovery resources.
If you or your loved one would like more information on how to travel to Bali and complete treatment with Seasons Rehab, please contact us today.
Transformation Starts Here
Taking that first step towards recovery is one of the most powerful things you can do. If you or a family member need help and you want to get the best treatment possible, get in touch with us now. With over twenty years of helping people to find peace in recovery, we are South East Asia’s Leading Addiction Treatment Centre.
