If you’re a distraught spouse, you can play a role in overcoming the drug addiction of your partner simply by shifting focus from what you cannot do to what you can most certainly do. You can start by addressing the habits of your spouse and seeking to minimize them little by little. But before you embark on this mission you must be clear in your mind that addiction recovery is very much possible and your role in it can be instrumental, perhaps, even the underlying force behind your spouse’s recovery itself.
Having an addiction is dangerous that has dire consequences resulting from this disorder. Addiction has a huge potential to lead to overdose and there are enough statistics to corroborate the deadly route of addiction leading to fatal ventures. There is also enough data that suggests every drug addict has a greater likelihood of overdosing than those who casually consume drugs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports opiates like methadone, heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, as well as others, are highly likely to cause severe respiratory depression that leads to a dangerous overdose when consumed in combination with alcohol. In addition, compulsive use of benzodiazepines and other CNS depressants has the same deadly effect on consumers.
As a wife or a husband, you do not have to wait around for your partner to be ready to undergo this process of recovery but you have to confront the battle as soon as you realize addiction is underway. You have to take the initiative to open the doorway to recovery and lead the way.
Here are three constructive ways to be successful in your mission:
Gain knowledge
It is crucial to understand there is a problem before you set out to look for antidotes. But knowing a problem exists alone isn’t sufficient, you need to identify what the problem is. It’s not easy to help a person effectively if you don’t understand the problem at the grassroots level, as well as, how the person struggles with those problems on a daily basis. This includes understanding how you would implement a plan to enable the addict out of some of his habits. For example, if you were told your child suffers from a certain disease, you’d learn everything there is to be able to equip yourself in fighting it. You would stop buying any food that complicates the disease. You would limit your child’s access to activities that are detrimental to his condition.
Get Help
Addiction is a stigmatized disease, the negative perception of which keeps families from disclosing it to others. This hinders the progress as secretly treating addiction is not really possible without compromising on the ferocity. The addict deserves all the help he can get and you shouldn’t limit your avenues of seeking support either. Look for inspiration from people who’ve battled this disease successfully, change the company around your husband, take him far from the clutches of places that serve as access points.
There are many support groups and treatment centers that come in handy in this fight against addiction. Treatment centers in Delray Beach help break away the addict’s isolation. They strip you away from the addictive environment and encourage your positive growth.
Build Strength
Know that without having the inner strength to fight this very difficult battle you’ll find yourself failing and on the verge of giving up many times. Your inner strength is what platforms your conviction. The belief that you’ll overcome the hurdles and reach your goals is the power that will push you to take action even when the odds are against you. You’ll defy these odds with nothing but your firm belief in achievement.
Set boundaries and don’t be afraid to reinforce them if need be. This step has proved successful for many people. Make it clear to your partner you’re no longer an ally in his addiction but a firm and a dedicated opponent. Obstruct each and everything that facilities his addiction and replace it with hindrance. This will be difficult at the start but your partner will soon develop enough tolerance to bear with it.
There is great bliss that comes from fighting the battles of your loved ones as your own. A partner has the most capacity to be a consistent source of support to his other half.
