Addiction affects people around the world, and while it can cause serious health issues for the addict, it can also be the reason for problems in their close relationships.
If you’re in a relationship with an addict, or if you’re an addict yourself, you’ve seen firsthand how drugs and alcohol can ruin relationships. Drugs destroy relationships, and addiction deteriorates the foundation of healthy relationships in the addict’s life. This erosion doesn’t just happen to romantic relationships, entire families and friend groups can suffer when one person in the group is an addict.
Unfortunately, at Banyan Pompano, we see how addiction ruins relationships all too frequently. A marriage plagued by one or both partners’ addiction can quickly lead to divorce or a friendship can be destroyed when one friend hides their addiction. Whether it is a relationship with a significant other, a family member, or a close friend, the toxicity created by drug or alcohol addiction can be detrimental to these bonds. Though addiction ruins relationships for many reasons, you can take a step closer to repairing those ties when you choose treatment options such as PHP or IOP in Pompano Beach.
There is hope for healing relationships that have been hurt by addiction, alcoholism, and substance abuse. Loving an addict is difficult, and being an addict can create a lot of strain on your relationships. To understand how to fix relationships ruined by addiction, one must understand the ways addiction harms relationships.
Why Addiction Ruins Relationships
One of the biggest reasons addiction destroys relationships is because the person struggling with addiction often uses deception to hide their problem from their loved one. It is not uncommon for a person struggling with an addiction to want to keep their drug or alcohol addiction a secret. It’s likely they feel ashamed or guilty. On the other hand, they might even believe they don’t have a problem to begin with and, therefore, that they do not need addiction rehab. Some addicts may even resort to stealing or borrowing money from loved ones to finance their addiction, adding more strain to an already fracturing relationship. Encumbered by lies, deceit, and secrets, the trust withers away and the relationship becomes fractured, or even broken.
How Addiction and Alcoholism Ruin Relationships
Addiction also ruins relationships because of the physical, mental, and behavioral effects that drug abuse can have on a person. Some common side effects of drug abuse include:
- Social withdrawal
- Violence
- Risky behavior
- Increased sense of self
Maintaining a relationship with a drug addict who is exhibiting these behaviors can be trying. When your happy-go-lucky child becomes irritable and depressed, they may push you away. Many people also turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with a mental health disorder. Those with co-occurring disorders are more likely to withdraw and make it hard to be around.
How Social Media Destroys Relationships
Drug and alcohol addiction can destroy relationships, and so can excessive social media use. The factors behind social media addiction are still being studied, but social media addiction can and does happen. Social media itself can harm relationships, as users compare their lives to the lives they see portrayed on social media platforms. This can create a disconnect that harms relationships. Social media addiction is just as harmful to relationships as other addictions, except instead of drugs or alcohol, social media addicts choose their online fix instead of friends and family.
Fixing Relationships After Getting Sober
As you work through the 12 steps of recovery, you’ll need to make amends with those who have been harmed by your addiction. This includes addressing what destroys relationships – addictive patterns and habits. When you devote all of your energy to getting your next fix, or when you’re facing personality changes at the hands of withdrawals or intoxication, your loved ones suffer just as much as you do. Part of recovering is fixing these damaged relationships to the best of your ability.
To fix relationships after getting sober, follow some tips:
- Understand that nobody owes you acceptance of an apology
- If you do apologize to those you have hurt, be sincere in your apologies
- Offer actionable steps on how you will remedy the hurtful actions or behaviors
- Start slow, the relationship will not get back to where it used to be overnight
- Continue working on yourself, you cannot fix your relationship with others until you fix yourself
If you are the loved one of an addict and you are trying to fix the relationship after they have gotten sober, we are here to support you. We offer programs for families of addicts that can help you heal from the hurt caused by your loved one’s addiction.
Our tips for fixing your relationship with an addict include:
- Recognizing that addiction is a disease
- Helping the addict get treatment so they can work on their recovery
- Understanding that the addict will not fix their behaviors if they do not want to
- Avoiding longing for how things used to be and focusing on the future
- Taking the relationship one day at a time, it doesn’t have to be where it was before the addiction
- Participating in support groups for loved ones of addicts
Finding Help for Addicts and Their Loved Ones
It can be difficult to watch someone you love struggle with addiction and sensing the serious strains it can have on your relationship. Don’t walk away; you can get them the help they need with services from our team at Banyan Treatment Center Pompano. If you have let your addiction destroy relationships with loved ones, it is time to get professional help and make amends.
Call 888-280-4763 to get more information on how to heal from addiction and fix relationships that have been damaged by this disease.
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