Couples Therapy For Addiction Treatment

What is Couples Therapy?

Couples therapy finds problems in the relationship and tries to solve those conflicts between the two intimate partners,  sometimes it is referred to as marriage counselling, but partners do not have to be formally married to undergo this extremely helpful therapy.

A licensed counsellor helps the couple understand one another and hopes to create an open communication between them to resolve the challenges in the relationship.

Navigating relationships where an addiction is present can be even harder, even if the two have been together for a long time, you will find that couples therapy is a great way for partners struggling with drug or alcohol abuse to learn to communicate with each other in a healthy kind manner.

Studies published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) show that couples who were addicts made good progress after attending behavioural couples therapy (BCT).

There are some cases where therapy is not advisable though, if you have a court restrainting order against your partner for your safety. Similarly, if the relationship was brought about by trauma or domestic violence, couples therapy is not recommended.

Couple therapy is a starting point for people struggling with an addiction. While in therapy, they work together to point out each other thoughts and wishes:

• While in some programs couples can enroll together, the center focuses on individualized care to help each partner recover. At the same time, the other only joins in as a support system.
• Couples addiction drug rehab also has several activities and exercises to keep the mind off the urge. It also helps them refine their communication skills by speaking to others by addressing the root causes of the addiction, it helps them develop ways of coping with the new changes.
• Addiction treatment options normally focus on what your issues are and how they are affecting your relationship, and help you as a team to develop strategies that will strengthen your relationship and help you overcome the triggers together..

Couples therapy is there to help when both or one person in a relationship is dealing with drug problems, during the therapy, both parties will work closely to identify the main cause of this addiction and work on a way to overcome it.

Couples then learn new communication and coping skills that help to navigate through life’s stresses together.

Many times the process makes the couples stronger, as they get a deeper understanding of their partner. No better way to heal faster than involving the person closest to you.

How does substance abuse affect relationships?

Continued substance abuse can eventually lead to some addictions and this can hurt the relationship for both parties.

• Relationships get strained: It brings about relationship strains from lack of intimacy, reduced communication, and other legal issues.
• The strain on sex life: The addiction can often lower a partner’s sex interest, and when reducing the intimacy in your relationship, it can hurt people’s feelings of being wanted and create an emotional disconnection.
• Financial difficulties: People who are addicted are likely to spend more on harmful substances. In turn, the misplaced priorities in handling finances such as rent payments, eating healthy, or spending time on recreation.
• Legal conflicts: addiction makes people commit crimes such as drunk driving which sparks behavior that is dangerous to themselves and other people. When a spouse goes through legal trouble, it will adversely impact the marriage..
• Sexual, verbal, or physical abuse: Drugs and substance abusers are often unstable and burdened by unpredictable mood swings, which can create animosity and fear for their partners.

Enabling behavior:

It is expected for a spouse whose partner is fighting addiction to be supportive in their recovery. However, it is important to distinguish between a partner who is supportive and enabling. At times, a partner may be enabling their partner’s addiction without knowing it by:

• Giving them the drugs anytime they feel sick.
• Giving them money to buy more opioids or sleeping pills.
• Allowing an addict to crash in with you if they are unable to pay their rent.

Sympathy is a noble quality and is best manifested when dealing with people who do not have an addiction, because constantly helping an addict only worsens the problem.

Some addiction recovery experts believe the best way to help an addict is by speeding up their path to rock bottom. The rationale here is that the sooner they have no place to turn to, the quicker they will make the personal choice to turn their life around by seeking professional help.

How do couples using drugs together affect each other:

Several patterns and outcomes are common among partners who use drugs together. Some use drugs for recreation and relaxation while others have more frequent and intense reasons behind their drug use.

Whatever the case, they impact the dynamics of a relationship in different ways. For instance, when they jointly start abusing the substance, it brings a sense of adventure and camaraderie. However, with time it leads to conflicts, dependence, and can have a bad outcome for each partner.

What contributes to co-occurring substance abuse among couples:

Psychological factors play a big part among drug addicts and here are the most common:

Stress

Couples will turn to drugs as a way of coping with life’s daily pressures, financial trouble, or conflicts in their relationships. For example, couples going through rough patches in their relationships might use drugs together to escape from the pain and their problems temporarily.

Social circles

This is simply peer pressure. If you spend a lot of time around friends or family members who use drugs, chances are it increases your likelihood of engaging in substance abuse too. With time everyone gets comfortable creating a social environment where drug use is encouraged or normalized. A good example is during social gatherings, where the chances of also sharing in the drug abuse is high.

Mental health issues

If someone has problems like depression or anxiety, they might start using drugs to feel better. When both people in a relationship are dealing with these issues, they might end up encouraging each other to use drugs instead of getting help.

Relationship issues

If couples argue a lot or find it hard to communicate, they might turn to drugs to avoid their issues. But using drugs can make their relationship problems worse, leading to a cycle where they rely more on drugs and their relationship keeps deteriorating.

Who are the major risk groups?

Some couples are more vulnerable to cases of co-occurring substance abuse than others, these mostly include:

• Young couples—most have a tough time dealing with stuff and tend to act without thinking, wanting to fit in with friends, not having much experience, and not knowing how to handle stress well.
• Cultural and ethnic groups—while some groups of people are at a higher likelihood of substance abuse due to social, economic, and historical factors, it cuts across all ethnicities and cultural backgrounds.
• Traditional gender roles and expectations—society’s pressures can strongly influence substance abuse, for instance, the need for men to suppress their emotions or act tough, may lead to substance abuse as a way of coping.
• LGBT couples—stress arising from social stigma or internalized homophobia could increase their chances of substance abuse.

What are the addiction and mental health issues treated in rehab for couples?

Drug and substance abuse always go hand in hand with other underlying issues, complicating any recovery process. If you don’t fix what’s causing the drug use, from anxiety, stress, mental health issues and more, you’re more likely to start using again. At Seasons Bali, we do things differently by focusing on both partners when dealing with:

• Alcohol
• Cocaine
• Heroin
• Methamphetamine
• Prescription drugs/Opioids

Treatment and recovery options for couples addicted to drugs:

Rehab centres like Seasons Bali in Indonesia specialize in helping get to the root of the problem and in the serene environment of Bali, it really does make it a more harmonious process, and with the professional care. Part of the support for couples to overcome drug abuse is:

• Intensive outpatient program—involves scheduled treatment sessions several times a week allowing the couples to continue staying at home. This is ideal for those who want intensive support but can still reside in their own homes.
• Residential treatment—treatment centers across Bali where couples can stay at specialized facilities for several weeks or months. Here they get round-the-clock supervision including therapy, medication, and coping skills.
• Outpatient therapy—involves couples going to therapy sessions regularly once or twice every week. Couples here get ongoing support while continuing with their regular responsibilities.
• Couples therapy—mainly focuses on improving communication, building trust with one another, and conflict resolution, that helps in curbing the potential urge or triggers while at home.

Benefits of drug rehab for couples:

Couples struggling with addiction are expected to go to rehab with more goals in mind than simply weaning off their substance addiction. That is the surest path to sustained recovery. While undergoing treatment, they will engaged in other activities such as:

• Healthy communication.
• Coping skills.
• How to manage their finances as a team.
• Parental skills.
• Smart decision-making.

As long as both partners are deeply concerned about the goodwill and recovery of the other, there is a lot they can benefit from at Seasons Bali. Some of the positive effects are:

• When both parties in the relationship ask for help, it reduces the cycle of domestic violence and emotional abuse.
• Both individuals get a chance to deal with their relationship issues that mask their drug and alcohol addictions.
• Couple therapy reduces the chances of the relationship ending after they complete treatment.
• Couples with kids can go through family therapy to get a full picture of its impact on their children and how they can be better.
• People committed to relationships can motivate each other and act as positive influences, encouraging one another to remain sober.

Behavioral therapy for couples suffering from substance abuse:

Behavioral therapy is the bedrock of all substance abuse treatments. It helps people unravel their bad behaviors and replaces them with healthier coping skills and productive thought patterns. Two common types of behavioral therapy applied when treating couples affected by addiction are:

• Family therapy—a form of therapy that accepts how this addiction has affected every family member, both romantic partners and the children.
• Behavioral couples therapy (BCT)—BCT helps rebuild dysfunctional relationships by replacing destructive habits with healthier ones. It works on miscommunication among couples and can help with substance abuse.

Choose Couples Therapy For Addiction Treatment:

Couples undergoing addiction issues can now get professional help and turn their lives around. With the right partner by your side in the journey of life, you can not only save your relationship but also reignite the lost passion and rescue your connection. Seasons Bali is here to help you find the treatment program that is perfect for you and your partner.