Relationships Issues Can Be Caused By Addiction
When it comes down to relationships and drug addiction, there’s never a happy ending. Your drug addiction can make you lose everyone that you love. From close family members to long-time childhood friends, you can lose everyone in a matter of seconds. And while your social life problems may not seem like a big concern, they’re bigger than you can imagine. Drug addiction can be the source of most relationship problems. But as we all know, it is difficult to admit that we are the problem. Therefore, it’s essential for everyone with drug addiction problems to take a look in the mirror. Trust us. Hindsight is always 20/20. But, the sooner that we can acknowledge that we are victims of drug addiction and alcoholism, the sooner we can stop hurting others. Once we realize how much damage our drug addiction has caused, we can start to build and rebuild healthy relationships.
If you’re ready to overcome your drug addiction problems and start rebuilding relationships with the people that you love most, contact GateHouse Treatment. However, if you’re still not sure how your drug addiction is putting a strain on your relationships, keep reading.
Relationships and Drug Addiction
Relationships and drug addiction are a horrible combination. For starters, domestic violence relationships are severely common among drug addicts and alcoholics. On top of that, people addicted to drugs and alcohol have a history of lies and deceit. At the same time, people with drug addictions are more inclined to prioritize their habit over their relationships. Not to mention, in the process of helping your loved one with their addiction you can become an enabler. In all reality, there are no benefits of engaging in a relationship with drug or alcohol abuse. And, if you don’t take preventative action immediately, you can risk losing the closest people in your support system. Sound crazy right. Let’s take a second to break down each of these problems:
Drug Addiction Causes Domestic Violence In Relationships
As we all know, domestic violence in relationships has been a leading headline for years. But, what you might not know is that drug addiction plays a significant role in domestic violence. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, “Substance abuse has been found to co-occur in 40%-60% of IPV (intimate partner violence) incidents across various studies.” With this in mind, the rate of domestic violence is extremely high in relationships that involve drug addicts or alcoholics. ASAM also states that ” Research has found that on days of heavy drug and/or alcohol use, physical violence was 11 times more likely among IPV batterers and victims.” Can you imagine the thought of hurting someone that you love because of your drug or alcohol problem? Even worst, can you imagine your loved one hurting you because of your addiction? Whether you’re a man, woman, or your part of the LGBTQP community, your drug addiction can make you vulnerable to domestic violence. And make no mistake, if you have children they are watching everything in real time. Which means your children are being affected in a real way.
In some cases, children raised in homes with domestic violence and drug addiction have a history of repeating the cycle. Therefore, there’s a chance that you might be setting the stage for your children’s future. Henceforth, we recommend anyone in a relationship with drug addiction problems to seek treatment.
Drug Addiction Disrupts Your Relationship Priorities
One of the most common things that people forget about drug addiction is that it makes you lose sight of your priorities. Take a moment to think about this: If you’re the sole provider of your household, and your family depends on you, you can’t afford to drop the ball. However, drug addiction has no mercy. Your drug addiction will strip you for everything that you have. We’re talking savings accounts, credit scores, family time, and more. You can even lose your job because of your drug addiction. Not to mention, people with drug addiction problems tend to dismiss the health risks associated with drug abuse. This problem typically hits home for a lot of relationships. Therefore, feeding an addiction is dangerous for you and your loved ones.
If that’s not bad enough, drug addiction problems can alter the dynamics of your brain. As a result, this forces you to make your drug addiction priority number one. The area of the brain that’s most affected by drug abuse is the limbic system. Ultimately, the limbic system is the reward system in your brain. Once your reward system is activated by drugs or alcohol, you are more likely to prioritize your addiction before your family.
Drug Addiction Causes People To Lie In Relationships
Another relationship problem that drug addicts have is that they struggle with trust issues. Therefore, drug addicts and alcoholics tend to lie. When most people start to base their lives on drugs and alcohol, they tend to lie about their drug abuse habits. In the process, your loved one might revert to feeling ashamed or guilty. As a result, this causes your loved ones to become secretive. Drug addiction problems can even encourage a person to live a double life.
Consequently, compelling your loved one to isolate themselves. Which, puts strain on relationships. And, it doesn’t stop there. Eventually, the little white lies tend to lead to drug addicts lying about:
- Current location
- Who they are with
- Investing their money
- Why household items are going missing
Inevitability, everything listed above makes it hard to trust a drug addict. And as we all know, it’s impossible to build a relationship with someone that you can’t trust. With this in mind, we think it’s critical for everyone with a drug addiction problem to seek the help that they need.
Drug Addiction Relationship Enabler
Last but not least, if your loved one has a drug addiction, there is a slight chance that you might be enabling them. So, how do you know if you’re helping or enabling someone with drug addiction problems? Here’s a list of ways to see if you’re enabling your loved one:
- taking responsibility for your loved one’s priorities while they are struggling with drug addiction
- accepting the blame for someone being addicted to drugs and alcohol
- attempting to minimize your loved one’s addiction
- making excuses for your loved one’s behavior
If you’ve ever done any of the things listed above, you might be causing more damage than helping. And if you’re not careful, you can become addicted to being an enabler. In essence, your love for someone will blind you. In the process, your life will eventually revolve around helping you’re loved one. Even if it means, preventing your loved one from getting better so that you can maintain a sense of value. The most common term for such behavior is co-dependent relationships. Ultimately, you enjoy being your loved one’s caretaker. But, in all reality, you are only fulfilling your own needs.
Once you find yourself in a co-dependent relationship, you and your loved one should consider seeking family treatment.
How To Overcome Your Drug Addiction And Maintain Your Relationships
If you or your loved one is struggling with drug addiction problems and you want to make your relationship work, contact Gatehouse Treatment. We can help you save your relationship and overcome your drug addiction. We also offer courses to help people with drug addiction problems build effective relationships. Contact us today at (855) 448-3588.
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