Alcohol abuse disorder not only negatively impacts your body and mind, but it also takes a toll on your relationships. Addiction can damage trust and intimacy between partners, friends, children, and other family members, and it can be challenging to rebuild those relationships during and after recovery.
But it is possible.
Repairing relationships in recovery takes some work. But if you are committed to doing what it takes to heal broken bonds, you can begin making amends during alcohol treatment. It may be a slow process, depending on the damage caused by your addiction. And there’s no guarantee you’ll gain back every relationship you lost. However, making positive steps toward mending past hurts can be healing for you and others in your life.
Relationships That Are Often Affected By Alcohol Abuse
When you struggle with alcohol use disorder, there is no limit to the number of relationships it can harm within and outside your family. Alcohol addiction can severely damage the following relationships in several ways.
Your Relationship With Your Parents
Even the most solid of relationships with parents can be damaged due to alcohol abuse. If hiding alcohol use or stealing from them while living with them plays a part in your alcohol addiction, they’ll feel betrayed and hurt.
But if you are an adult living outside your parent’s house, your relationship can still be strained when they urge you to get help. Many times, it takes time for you to realize you have a drinking problem, so before you do, you may feel hurt and betrayed yourself.Â
Your Relationship With Your Spouse or Partner
One of the most common relationships damaged by alcohol addiction is the one you share with your partner or spouse. It’s challenging to feel close and connected with someone who is ruled by addiction. Many times, alcohol use disorder includes a level of deception.
You may lie about where you’re going, what you’re doing, or how much you’re drinking. Because trust is a significant factor in healthy romantic relationships, alcohol use disorder can do some hefty damage. Repairing romantic relationships in recovery from alcohol addiction is a common goal for many.
Your Relationship With Your Friends
Alcohol addiction can affect friendships in a couple of ways. For one, your drinking behavior could lead to mistrust, embarrassment, or even dangerous situations when you’re together. Or, your friends may choose to reevaluate their relationship with you after you decide to get professional help.
While not all friendships will survive your recovery, repairing relationships with them is certainly possible if they are willing to adapt to a new, sober you.
Your Relationship With Your Children
Alcohol can turn you into a different person. You may become violent, angry, or misbehave in public. And when you struggle with alcohol use disorder, your best intentions of showing up for your children can often go out the window.
Alcohol addiction can seriously strain your relationship with your child because they could be scared of you, resent you, and simply count you out as someone they can count on. This is damaging not only to their relationship with you but also to their mental health since children need their parents to develop secure attachment bonds.
Repairing relationships in recovery can be challenging, and the timing is delicate. Working with your clinician to determine when you are strong enough in your recovery journey to be honest with yourself and others is essential. Because the process of repairing broken relationships may not always go smoothly, you want to make sure you won’t be triggered back into addiction when you hit roadblocks.
Here are some things you can focus on when repairing relationships in recovery.
- Set Realistic Expectations
Depending on the damage done, not everyone in your life will be ready to mend fences with you right away. Work with your addiction therapist to set realistic goals with people in your life. You won’t be able to get back to “normal” with everyone immediately. Setting small, attainable goals will help you stay on track with your sobriety and not send you spiraling back into addiction.
Understanding that rebuilding trust in relationships takes time is crucial to repairing relationships in recovery. Be patient with yourself and others, and you’ll get there eventually.
- Get Rid of Unhealthy Relationships
Unfortunately, not all relationships from your past are going to be beneficial to you in your recovery. Some individuals may be a bad influence on you and tempt you into relapse.
Other unhealthy relationships that may hurt your recovery efforts are codependent individuals. One of the most important parts of overcoming addiction is learning how to take responsibility for your actions. People in your life who want to shield you from those consequences and make excuses for your actions aren’t going to help you.
Of course, if these are family members, you don’t have to cut them out of your life. Just be aware of their tendencies and limit your time with them during your early recovery efforts, if possible.
- Learn Healthy Communication and Coping Skills
A significant benefit of alcohol treatment in San Diego at BOLD Health is learning healthy communication and coping skills. Your clinician will work with you to learn how to effectively communicate with others without causing conflict. Often, conflict can trigger your desire to drink.
Learning to listen and speak comfortably with others will also allow your friends and family to feel more comfortable communicating with you.
You’ll also learn healthy coping skills in alcohol treatment in San Diego at BOLD Health. You’ll learn how to do things other than reach for the bottle when challenging emotions and experiences arise.Â
BOLD Health: Your Choice for Alcohol Rehab in San Diego
While alcohol use disorder and addiction can do a number on your relationships, it’s never too late to get help and start working on repairing relationships. At BOLD Health, we provide top-notch alcohol treatment in San Diego and tailor your treatment to your needs.
When you enroll in our outpatient alcohol rehab in San Diego, your treatment may include:
- individual therapy
- group therapy
- family therapy
- medication management
- alcohol detox
- intensive outpatient program (IOP in San Diego)
No matter how long you’ve struggled with addiction, we can help you at our warm and welcoming alcohol rehab in San Diego, just blocks from the beach. Our addiction specialists will take the time to understand everything that makes you who you are and what contributes to your addiction so they can curate the ideal alcohol treatment program just for you.
Don’t wait to repair your relationships – with yourself, your life, and your loved ones.