Even if you have a relationship that looks good from the outside, it will still have challenges. However, when substance abuse or mental health issues are tossed into the mix, it becomes even harder to keep a relationship moving forward. For example, trust issues will invariably rear its head, especially when your communication breaks down.
Whether you’ve tried to hide your substance abuse problems or you’ve openly used alcohol or drugs in front of your partner, it won’t be long before you begin to lose your partner’s respect too. Even worse, your substance abuse issues can turn into a financial strain, isolation and neglect, along with emotional and physical abuse.
Fortunately, there is still hope for your relationship. It’s vital to realize that rebuilding trust requires time, effort and professional help. Furthermore, it’s extremely helpful to maintain your relationships as you go through the recovery process. After all, a strong relationship provides you with a good influence, emotional support and a sense of belongings.
Table of Contents
Understanding the Causes of a Broken Relationship
There are many factors that can break a relationship. Sadly, any of these reasons may completely upend what you had once believed to be an unbreakable bond.
Lack of Communication
Communication is vital for a healthy relationship. When you begin to omit critical details or stop expressing yourself fully, it can lead to misunderstandings and low morale. Signs of poor communication can include:
- Stonewalling
- Avoiding tough conversations
- Interrupting
- A lack of active listening
- Using blaming language
- Making assumptions
For instance, let’s say that one partner steers clear of difficult conversations. This could eventually cause the partner who wants to talk to unconsciously start fights in an attempt to be heard.
Substance Abuse Issues
The most common problem that accompanies substance abuse issues is a lack of trust. Once trust leaves a relationship, it becomes difficult to move forward. After all, without trust, everything else begins to fall apart. It’s likely you’ll face intimacy issues, negative emotions and the escalation of any type of conflict.
You’ll need to spend time learning how your partner feels if you’d like to rebuild trust. Keep in mind that it can take a significant amount of time to go from having a damaged relationship to a healthy one.
Mental Health Challenges
Again, trust is the foundation of every successful relationship, but it’s easily upended by not speaking openly about your mental health challenges. Relationship issues that may arise include:
- Resentment
- Isolation
- Codependency
- Lack of honest communication
- Loss of emotional and physical intimacy
It’s vital that you seek out mental health help if you’ve dealt with any of the following issues for more than two weeks:
- Feeling restless, frustrated or irritable
- Loss of interest in your favorite activities
- Eating more or less than usual
- Having a hard time concentrating
- Being unable to sleep
Acknowledging Both Partners’ Perspectives
Acknowledging your partner’s perspective doesn’t necessarily mean agreeing with it. Instead, it’s the process of empathetic listening, validation, using ‘I’ statements and replying with non-defensive communication. In other words, you must take your ego out of the equation.
Steps to Rebuild Trust and Repair a Damaged Relationship
Rebuilding a damaged relationship takes time and effort from both partners. There are five main steps that can take you from having trust issues to being open with each other once again.
1. Open Communication
Encouraging honest, non-judgmental dialogue is a good way to reopen communication. This requires vulnerability from both partners. It takes two to create a healthy communication dynamic. Learning to share thoughts and feelings without judgment is key. Actively listening and trying to understand your partner’s point of view is also essential. Regularly checking in with each other can help maintain open communication and address any emerging issues.
2. Spending Quality Time Together
If your relationship really matters to you, then it’s vital to spend quality time together. Rather than sitting on the couch together, choose to reconnect through shared activities and simply being present. Looking at your smartphone can impede this process, so be sure to put it where you won’t be tempted.
3. Seeking Professional Help
There are many benefits to seeking couples therapy such as:
- Developing a deeper understanding
- Developing improved conflict resolution skills
- Rebuilding trust
- Improved intimacy
- Reduced stress and tension
- Learning enhanced communication skills
If you’ve got a substance abuse issue, it’s also wise to seek out addiction counseling. Working with a counselor provides new strategies for recovery and direct support for your addiction needs. Furthermore, a counselor can reduce your risk of relapsing.
4. Accountability and Forgiveness
Accountability means taking responsibility for your actions, especially when you’ve made a mistake. Have an honest conversation with your partner, addressing the problem directly and committing to change.
Forgiveness, both giving and receiving, is crucial. It also offers an opportunity for self-compassion. Reflect on what went wrong in the relationship and allow time for healing and rebuilding trust. Remember, trust takes time to build, and regaining it is a process. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, relationships don’t work out. If fundamental needs remain unmet, and the relationship becomes unhealthy, it might be necessary to walk away.
5. Prioritizing Mental Health
Prioritizing your mental health is essential throughout this process. Focusing on your well-being is vital, whether the relationship continues or ends. Learning to manage your emotional health is a key step in becoming the best version of yourself. Small things, like journaling, can make a big difference in self-reflection and processing emotions. Regularly check in with yourself. If you need time alone, communicate this clearly instead of withdrawing. Sometimes, putting yourself in first place is necessary for healing, whether that means working on the relationship or letting go and moving on after a break up.
The Role of Professional Help in Relationship Healing
Allure Detox offers flexible rehab programs, along with a comprehensive line of specialized therapies. For instance, couples therapy and mental health therapy have an important role in the overall rehab process.
Relapse prevention is just one of our addiction treatment programs. By working individually with a counselor, you’ll have a safe space to develop a greater understanding of your warning signs. Together, you’ll work on enhancing your resilience and developing healthy coping skills to help you recover.
Allure Detox offers three primary counseling sessions: Individual therapy, couples therapy and family support programs.
- Individual Therapy – A one-on-one session with a recovery and mental health expert. You’ll gain a nonjudgmental space where you can speak freely.
- Couples Therapy – Allows you to explore your relationship dynamics in a safe space and set achievable goals to accomplish positive changes.
- Family Therapy – Takes on the needs of each member of your family. Learn how to resolve conflicts, solve problems and communicate effectively.
When to Seek Couples Therapy and Mental Health Support
Couples counseling is a proven way to help improve your current relationship. Approximately 37% of couples who live together have gone through couples counseling. A staggering 99% say that undergoing couples counseling helped improve their unhealthy relationship. Although this doesn’t necessarily guarantee the relationship’s longevity, it definitely increases the chances of long-term success.
If you’re battling any of the following issues, it’s a good idea to work with a couples therapist or couples counselor:
- Trust issues
- Frequent arguments
- Emotional and physical detachment
- High stress
- Emotional withdrawal
- Drifting apart
A couples therapist or couples counselor provides a third-party, neutral perspective, helping to identify underlying problems and root causes. They’ll assist you in developing stronger communication skills, teaching empathetic listening to foster connection and understanding your partner’s perspective. They’ll also emphasize the importance of setting boundaries and learning healthy emotional regulation.
Begin Improving Your Relationship Today
Relationships can heal, but it will take lots of time and professional support. In fact, couples therapy can help if you’ve been experiencing:
- Lost trust
- Arguing
- Lack of intimacy
- Facing a stressful change
- Depressed or angry
All of these also represent what can happen in a relationship where one partner has a substance abuse or mental health problem. Although there is no guarantee that you and your partner will be able to make your relationship last, studies have shown that going through couples therapy will improve your ability to communicate.
If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction and its impact on your relationships, contact Allure Detox today to begin the healing process.
Published on: 2025-01-28
Updated on: 2025-01-28
