How to Cope with Loving an Addict

Her innovative approach as Director of Operations gives her clients a safe and compassionate place at The Freedom Center to begin their recovery journey. Vince is a licensed social worker who treats clients recovering from substance use disorders. Vince received his bachelor’s degree in Family Science from The University of Maryland, and received his master’s degree in Social Work from The Catholic University of America. loving an addict He provides individual therapy, group therapy, and assessments for clients in recovery from substance use and any related mental health issues. Vince is passionate about the work that he does, and approaches therapy through an empathetic and motivational approach. SMART Recovery Family & Friends helps those who are affected by the substance abuse, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, or other addictions of a loved one.

• But try and love one, and tell me that you didn’t get addicted to trying to fix them.
• Naturally, people are built to seek out healthy rewards like food, water, sex and love in order to survive and continue the human race.
• This progression of taking larger doses, more often, is a sign of substance abuse.
• In fact, their care for you and others may be what prompts them to seek help.
• Sent back out into the world, they lack the foundation in sobriety necessary to sustain long …

Furthermore, lust for a partner can create obsessiveness as chemicals are released through sexual activity. Sex releases chemicals like oxytocin, and can create an intense attachment for someone who already has low self-esteem or codependency.

Set Boundaries

In simple terms, codependency is defined by an inability to define boundaries in a relationship. Oftentimes, a codependent person is unable to say “no”, especially when they’re in a relationship with an addict. The codependentcares more about how their partner feelsthan how they feel themselves. As a result, they usually do whatever it takes to keep their partner happy. Knowing that your loved one is addicted to alcohol and other drugs may not always be straightforward. Addictions can develop slowly, and people sliding into an addiction can develop an uncanny ability to conceal the truth. Naturally, people are built to seek out healthy rewards like food, water, sex and love in order to survive and continue the human race.

For me, reading it was an epiphany that one can choose to change from ‘drift’ to ‘direction,’ and survive as a much stronger and more loving person. I give away new copies to friends and family because my book always stays by my bed to be read and re-read. With proper boundaries in place, those who are in love with an addict can move towards loving themselves again. Often the destructive cycle of addiction and substance abuse will take an emotional and physical toll on those closest to the addict. In order to help the person you love, you need to take care of yourself first. This can be particularly difficult for parents, family members, or spouses/partners of addicts. Addiction is a serious, chronic illness involving compulsive behaviors, most often around drugs or alcohol.

The Dangers of Loving an Addict

Consequently, love addiction may have intense elements of a lack of control present in other addictions, such as sex addiction or a chemical addiction. When an addiction takes hold, the person you love disappears, at least until the addiction loosens its grip. The person you love is still in there somewhere, but that’s not who you’re dealing with. The person you remember may have been warm, funny, generous, wise, strong – so many wonderful things – but addiction changes people. It takes a while to adjust to this reality and it’s very normal to respond to the addicted person as though he or she is the person you remember. This is what makes it so easy to fall for the manipulations, the lies and the betrayal – over and over. You’re responding to the person you remember – but this is not that person.

Helping takes into account the long-term effects, benefits and consequences. Enabling is about providing immediate relief, and overlooks the long-term damage that might come with that short-term relief. Transformations By The Gulf is a Florida addiction rehabilitation center focusing on gender-specific addiction needs.

Loving a Drug Addict

During this time, it’s important that you find a strong support system because you will need it. Often loved ones of an addict will participate in a group of other people whose loved ones are an addict. When you do that it can help you move forward in a positive, productive way, and also understand that you’re not alone. During this time you will also need to create a list of things that you know you will have to change as part of your goal of letting go of an addict you love. Addie April 17th, 2022 I understand and completely feel your pain. I have to believe there is a good life for you beyond what you are enduring presently. I spent 23yrs loving an addict, and in another relationship right after with him in rehab now and wanting to come back after 60 days rather than 90.