Part of the complete guide to understanding addiction
Table of Contents
- Couples Rehab
- What is couples rehab?
- How does Couples Alcohol Rehab Help?
- Do all Rehabs Offer Couples Rehab?
- What Does Couples Inpatient Rehab Involve?
- Does Avenues Recovery Offer Couples Rehab?
- Conclusion
Couples Rehab
When one person in a relationship struggles with addiction, it is easier to deal with it. However, when both the 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 might be couples rehab.
What is Couples Rehab?
When both members of a family are suffering from drug addiction, it becomes difficult to break the cycle. Couples therapy makes it easier for couples to quit alcohol and drug addiction. When both members join couples rehab, they can motivate each other to quit bad habits.
Is rehab for couples a good idea? That is a complicated question but we’ll do our best to answer it in this article.
Couples rehab includes the same treatment process as individual rehab. The treatment starts with medical detox 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 inpatient rehab, you will undergo individualized treatment and couples treatment. In this treatment plan, 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.
Allow Couples 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 therapy, you and your partner can support each other. Helping each other, you can boost the recovery process and aim for long-term sobriety together.
How does Couples Alcohol 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 you will develop with couples rehab:
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 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
Couples rehab is an effective program to resolve misunderstandings and differences of opinion in a relationship. Health care professionals teach special techniques to couples so they can resolve the problems with a cool temperament and rational discussion. As a result, couples can prevent verbal and physical attacks and develops healthy relationships. This rehab program helps 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. Also, this is one of the major causes of drug addiction. In this program, couples can learn methods to deal with stress. Some effective techniques involve:
- Mindfulness
- Massage therapy
- Guided meditation
- Deep-breathing exercises
- Yoga
These techniques reduce the risk of relapse and regulate stress in a relationship.
Do all Rehabs Offer Couples Rehab?
Not all rehabs offer couples rehab treatment. Although there are often benefits to couples working out their issues together, there can be downsides in some cases as well. When one member of the couple 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 specific 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 first to be sure they offer couples rehab.
What Does Couples Inpatient Rehab Involve?
Here are 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 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. With a couples rehab program, 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. MAT element of the couples rehab program drastically improves the results in the first year. Learn more about Medication Assisted Treatment.
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
Does Avenues Recovery Offer Couples Rehab?
Yes, sometimes we do. Avenues Recovery 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 by Avenues location. Contact our admissions team for more information about couples rehab or any substance abuse questions.
Conclusion
Couples’ drug rehab is a treatment plan to recover from drug abuse as a couple. There are benefits and downsides to going to treatment as a couple. Always consult with your 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.