Being in a relationship is often a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, your partner can enable your bad habits, just as they can enable your growth. Couples who feed one another’s substance use disorders often don’t have the tools they need to overcome their urges. That said, these couples can also work together through couples treatment therapy to beat the odds.
If you and a loved one are struggling with substance use disorders, help is available. Call 855.579.8599 Virtues Behavioral Health today to learn more about our couples therapy program in Los Angeles.
Substance Use Disorders and Interpersonal Relationships
Interpersonal relationships can be challenging, even without substance use in play. Some couples may start using certain substances to cope with the stress of their relationship. Others may start to use increasingly dangerous substances when one party encourages the other.
Couples who use certain substances to bond, relax, or otherwise contend with the day-to-day stress in their lives often end up enabling one another. This behavior can rapidly spiral into a substance use disorder, especially as the couple gets more ingrained in their use.
What to Expect in Couples Treatment for Addiction
Couples treatment, also referred to as couples intervention, is a program that allows two individuals to pursue substance use disorder therapy together. These programs allow attending individuals to discuss their substance use in detail while also detailing how their relationship may have impacted their use.
Couples treatment and therapy in the realm of substance use aims to address problems in relationships and aid in the couple’s recovery. A licensed therapist serves as a mediator and a resource and can:
- Assess the couple’s situation
- Recommend treatments for individuals or the couple as a unit
- Provide therapy themselves
In turn, the attending couple can get a better idea of why they’ve used substances as they have and how they can go about improving their lives.
How Does Couples Intervention Impact Substance Use Disorders?
Couples therapy in California can impact substance use in a variety of different ways. Couples who want to work together to improve their health can support one another through the process, gradually shifting themselves back towards healthier habits.
Couples, however, who resent one another or who began using certain substances to cope with stress may find themselves facing uncomfortable truths during couples therapy. These partners may choose to separate from one another either during their recovery or for good.
Neither one of these solutions is a bad thing. Rather, couples intervention is designed to help both partners understand their needs. Couples who support one another will thrive when given a chance to help one another recover. Couples who enable one another will thrive once they realize that their partnership has resulted in a lack of healthy choices.
Couples Therapy in California
The treatments used to address couples in interventions vary depending on that couple’s needs. However, certain treatments have had notable success when put to practice. These include (but are not limited to):
Couples Rehab
Couples who want to support one another through their recovery can attend couples rehab. This program is designed to rely on the couple’s bond. The couple, in turn, will be expected to monitor one another to report on their progress and to limit their contact with dangerous substances.
Individualized Treatment
Couples who would rather pursue treatment on an individual basis can attend the same rehabilitation facility, even at the same time. However, while these parties may attend couples therapy and intervention, they’ll also have designated time spent away from one another.
These singular sessions are meant to ensure that each partner is receiving the care that they need. Similarly, these sessions can be used to ensure that each partner feels safe, both with their treatment program and with one another.
You and Virtues Behavioral Health: Overcome a Substance Use Disorder
Relationships aren’t just about supporting one another. Your relationship with your partner should actively make your life better. If you and your loved one have been suffering from a substance use disorder, you can work together to get your lives back on track.
You can call 855.579.8599 today to connect with the team at Virtues Behavioral Health. We’re here and happy to connect you and your partner with the couples therapy program in Los Angeles that you’re looking for.
