Relationships are essential to a happy and healthy life. Many people who take the path to recovery from addiction describe themselves and their lives as “broken” when they first get sober. Addiction can create broken dreams, broken friendships, and broken families. The thought of getting clean and sober can sometimes seem overwhelming when you think about these things that seem so broken. Yet people pick up the pieces and put them back together all the time as they learn to recover and rebuild their lives as a person in recovery.
It takes courage and willingness to take the path that heals. With therapy, treatment, and some work, you can learn to strengthen and maintain the friendships and family relationships that you have.
Addiction is a Family Disease
You may have felt alone when you were addicted, but the truth is you were never the only person harmed by your disease. Other people often develop their own coping behaviors when they love somebody who is addicted to drugs or alcohol.
They may develop poor coping skills and lash out, or begin to withdraw from the relationship. That doesn’t mean they don’t care – most likely, they’re afraid and don’t know what to do.
People who love addicted people often have a lot of hurt and pain. Some people respond by feeling relieved and grateful when their loved on finds sobriety, but others may feel angry and mistrustful of the process.
These are problems they will need to work through just as you have to work on your own recovery. They may benefit from family therapy or one-on-one therapy, or even joining a 12-step group such as Al-Anon that focuses on supporting families.
Changing Your Relationships
For every action, there is an equal or opposite reaction. With a change in a family dynamic, there is more change! If you, as an addicted person, begin to become more independent and reliable, somebody who has been picking up the slack feels less useful. Everyone will adapt to your new way of life in their own time.
Working on yourself is the best you can do when you first start out in recovery. If you want to strengthen your relationships, you will have to start establishing trust. Having boundaries is also essential. These are issues you can work on in recovery with your own therapist.
Getting Help for Addiction
Recovery from addiction is a journey, not a destination. We can help you begin to live a fulfilling life and transform your life. Getting help may sound scary, but the first step is easy – just reach out. You can contact us to learn about your options at 855-976-1495.
Many people who are recovering from addiction have unresolved issues such as trauma or mental health disorders. One of these types of disorders, called attachment disorder, is used to describe people who have difficulty connecting with others and forming friendships and relationships with them. For most people, an attachment disorder develops as a baby or child, when they had trouble connecting with their mother, father, or other caregivers for a variety of reasons.
Attachment disorders are a genuine problem that can affect people throughout their life, causing them problems in their daily lives because of the dysfunctional relationships that they can cause.
Many people who have a problem with addiction or other mental health disorders have attachment issues. Finding a way to have healthier relationships helps people begin to heal from them.
What Causes an Attachment Disorder?
Just like some other mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress, an attachment disorder can often stem way back to childhood. Some people who experience it may have experienced neglect or abuse, but this is not always the case.
An attachment disorder may form for other reasons, such as trauma or environmental issues. For example, a child with a single parent may have to work long hours and have little time to spend with them daily.
Why Do People Develop Attachment Issues?
Children from birth to adulthood, are dependent on their guardians to help provide for them. Babies will cry or hold on tight to their parents when they’re scared or in need of attention. They will cry when they need a diaper change or are hungry. If the parent or caregivers don’t react to a baby or meet their emotional needs, there may be trouble with forming attachments. These issues can continue throughout life.
Eventually, these behaviors can translate to social skills for children, and then later in adults. Some people have trouble growing into new actions as adults because their needs went unmet as children.
Therapy or treatment can help a person begin to heal from attachment problems and form healthier relationships. Everyone deserves to have healthy, fulfilling relationships, but when a person suffers from attachment issues, they may have trouble understanding what that entails.
Many people in recovery from addiction have attachment issues to a certain extent. Addiction is a lonely disease, and many people self-medicate out of loneliness or to numb the pain of their dysfunctional relationships.
Getting Help for Addiction
If you or somebody you love suffers from addiction, you’re not alone. You deserve to take your life back and begin healing from the pain of addiction. We help people from all walks of life begin the journey to recovery. Learn more about our programs and how we can help by calling us at (855) 409-8869.
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