When one person in a relationship struggles with addiction, help isn’t hard to find. However, when both people in a relationship have a drug addiction, maintaining sobriety can be challenging. Addiction can harm your mental and physical health as well as your personal relationships. One of the best solutions for a couple suffering from addiction is attending a couples rehab.
What is a Couples Rehab?
When two members of a family are suffering from drug addiction, it becomes difficult to get out of the addiction cycle. A rehab for couples makes it easier to quit alcohol and drug addiction. When both members join a couples drug rehab, they can motivate each other to quit bad habits.
Is rehab for couples a good idea? It’s a complicated question. Join Avenues Recovery, pioneers in addiction rehabilitation as we do our best to answer it in this article.
Addiction Treatment for Couples
Couples rehab includes the same treatment process as individual rehab. The treatment starts with drug detox treatment and individual counseling. However, as a couple, you will also undergo group support sessions. This program will strengthen your relationship and help heal your addictions together. Let’s take a look at what couples rehab consists of.
Individualized Treatment
Whether you choose outpatient rehab, or a residential treatment facility, you will undergo both individualized treatment and couples substance abuse treatment. In these treatment plans, the doctor will most likely perform medical detox. Detox is a safe procedure to reduce drug or alcohol withdrawal. As a result, you can safely quit the addiction without painful symptoms. You will attend meetings and sessions. The meetings include:
- Group therapy
- Individual therapy
- Relapse prevention education
Resolving Relationship Issues
Rehab for couples helps couples by strengthening their relationships. With that goal in mind, the counselors conduct group therapy and identify the underlying reasons for the drug abuse. They will teach you how to avoid the relationship issues that trigger the addiction and you will learn how to have a better relationship as a sober couple.
Allowing Couples in Recovery to Support Each Other
When you are in an individual rehab program, you might struggle to break the addiction cycle due to a lack of emotional support. But, with couples treatment, not only can couples go to rehab together , you can be each other's support system in recovery. Through helping each other, and couples therapy, you can boost the recovery process and aim for long-term sobriety together.
How Can Couples Alcohol and Drug Rehab Help?
When a relationship involves addiction, the healthcare professionals at the couples rehab will work to resolve relationship problems. They will solve anger, resentment, and frustration issues. Furthermore, they help with paranoia, distortions, irrational thinking, and delusional thoughts. You develop these qualities because of addiction and they often lead to fights or worse, domestic violence. Couples Rehab productively resolves these issues by resolving conflicts, reducing frustrations, and developing interpersonal skills. Also, this rehab program builds a stronger foundation for couples with drug addictions. A strong foundation will help you with the recovery process as well as manage conflicts. Here are some skills that will be developed in a drug rehab for couples:
1. Communication Skills
The idea of a couples rehab program involves communication. When couples communicate their concerns, feelings, and grievances, they can resolve conflicts and start a healthy life. Learning about ineffective accusatory phrases, body language, eye contact, and active listening, couples can increase communication in their relationship. With effective communication, couples in sober living will be clear about their feelings and thoughts.
2. Anger Management
Drugs and alcohol addiction increase frustration and emotional outbursts. This can lead to physical and verbal abuse in the home. In couples rehab, people learn to control their emotions. They learn effective ways to deal with stress and frustration without violence and anger.
3. Conflict Resolution
Rehab for couples is an effective way to resolve misunderstandings and differences of opinion in a relationship. Healthcare professionals teach special techniques to couples so they can resolve problems with a cool temperament and rational discussion. As a result, couples can prevent verbal and physical attacks and develops healthy relationships. Rehab programs can help couples to resolve conflicts and other aspects of their lives with mindfulness.
4. Stress Reduction Techniques
Stress is a major mental problem that leads to anxiety and depression. his is also one of the major causes of drug addiction. In this program, couples can learn methods to deal with stress.
Some effective techniques for reducing stress involve:
- Mindfulness
- Massage therapy
- Guided meditation
- Deep-breathing exercises
- Yoga
These techniques reduce the risk of relapse and regulate stress in a relationship.
Disadvantages of Couples Rehab
Although there are often benefits to couples working out their issues together, there can be downsides in some cases as well.
When one partner is more ready for rehab than the other, they might hold their partner back. Sometimes, one member of the couple needs a specific kind of treatment center for their situation that may not work well for their partner.
Every situation is different - if you think couples rehab is right for you, check with the rehab center first to be sure they offer couples rehab.
What Does Couples Inpatient Rehab Involve?
Here we’ll discuss some treatment elements involved in Couples Rehab:
1. Detox and Withdrawal
Detox is a process to reduce the withdrawal symptoms after quitting substance abuse. During the symptoms, your body releases residual substances to stabilize the absence of the dose. Normally, you may experience the symptoms six hours after quitting the symptoms. Detox takes place under the supervision of a qualified doctor. The doctor evaluates the intensity of the symptoms and performs various procedures. Detox and withdrawal will take up to 7 to 10 days.
2. Therapy
Psychotherapy [1] is common in group and individual therapy sessions. This procedure helps couples and individuals to identify the reason for their addiction. The psychologist finds the underlying emotional problem that triggers your alcohol or drug consumption. Common problems that lead to addiction are the loss of a loved one, past trauma, and bad habits. If you have a mental health issue such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, or depression, the psychologist will treat that problem. In an alcohol or drug rehab for couples, the psychologist will create a bond between you and your partner to help you with the addiction.
3. MAT
Healthcare professionals prescribe medications for specific patients who can’t maintain sobriety. The drugs include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. These medications reduce the effects of the substance. As a result, patients prevent a relapse. The MAT element of the couples rehab program drastically improves the results in the first year.
4. Complimentary Activities
By joining a luxury couples rehab program you can choose complementary activities as well. These activities enhance the overall treatment experience. Furthermore, it reduces stress levels and improves mood. These activities include:
- Therapeutic massage
- Art therapy
- Recreational therapy
- Acupuncture [2]
Does Avenues Recovery Offer Couples Rehab?
Yes, sometimes we do. Avenues Recovery primarily offers drug rehab for individuals. Sometimes we will accept couples, however, every couple is evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine if couples treatment is right for them. These decisions also vary depending on the various Avenues Recovery locations. Contact our admissions team for more information about couples rehab or any substance abuse questions.
See if Couples Rehab Could Work for You
Not all rehabs offer couples substance abuse treatment. There are benefits and downsides to going to treatment as a couple. It’s best to consult with a medical professional to ensure that couples treatment is right for you, and ask your preferred treatment center if they allow couples to attend treatment together.
Sources
[1] www.nimh.nih.gov
[2] mayoclinic.org