Drug and alcohol addiction changes everything, including relationships. Even though you love and trust your family and friends, these substances take over, becoming the most important component of your life (even if you don’t recognize that initially). The best way to overcome this is through treatment, and relationships generally can follow. At the Addiction Recovery Institute of America, we work to help you get healthy one step at a time, improving relationships across Florida as we do so.
How Are Treatment and Relationships Linked?
When it comes to improving addiction treatment and relationships, it is important to understand that the two are linked for several reasons. At the heart of this is the simple fact that drugs and alcohol create dependence.
Dependence occurs when the brain and body rely on the drugs you are giving it on a routine basis to function normally. Each day an individual uses the substance, that dependence grows as the brain becomes more acclimated to functioning with the substance present. That means you need more of it more frequently to get the same feeling of normalcy. Soon — and usually, quickly — it becomes challenging for you to maintain a relationship or keep up with the responsibilities of home, work, or school. The drug has effectively taken over.
When you are actively addicted, relationships become difficult because:
- You are focused on your drug use.
- People are not happy that you’re letting them down.
- Everyone thinks they know what you should do to get help.
- People may believe you should be able to just stop.
- The mental health disorders that often accompany and cause addiction make it hard to focus on relationships.
When you start on the path towards recovery, things improve. You can break the dependence that is pushing you away from your friends and family. Beginning recovery opens the door to new mental clarity. You will feel better about yourself and have more ability to focus on other people. This may help you to make key decisions about relationships. Sometimes, you may need to let go of relationships that aren’t conducive to a healthy future, especially if they do not support your recovery or encourage your substance use.
Family Treatment Makes a Difference
The relationship between drug addiction treatment and relationships with family is also important to consider. Some of the most intense relationships you’ll have during drug and alcohol addiction is the family dynamic. Family members, especially those close to you, are in many cases hard to disappoint. At the same time, you’ll find that you don’t know how to fix the problems that have become apparent thanks to addiction.
During family treatment, you and your family members can come together to discuss your options, needs, and goals. You can work through past problems without blame or finger-pointing. In this way, you can begin to move forward. For many people, family treatment can help ensure you always have the best level of support available to you in the early weeks and months of recovery at a residential treatment program or outpatient treatment program. It’s worth working to improve these relationships.
Finding Help for Addiction
Improving relationships starts with getting perspective on your addiction and getting help to treat it. Starting on the path to recovery can provide a wide range of benefits to you beyond health, including help with relationships. Our team at the Addiction Recovery Institute of America can help you.
Learn more about each of our rehab programs and how well they can support your path to recovery:
- Drug detox programs
- Residential treatment programs
- Partial hospitalization program
- Intensive outpatient program
- Outpatient treatment program
Invest in Your Future: Call the Addiction Recovery Institute of America Today
If you or someone you care about is struggling with addiction and has let relationships fall by the wayside, don’t hesitate. Reach out to our team at the Addiction Recovery Institute of America to access the tools, resources, and strategies you need to recover and rebuild your relationships. Reach out to us online today or call us at 844.973.2641 to learn more.
Originally Posted: https://www.ariafl.com/
