According to a recent blog, people who have addictions to drugs or alcohol also usually have unhealthy relationships. With the recent death of popular singer and pop star Whitney Houston, there has been a lot of talk about addictions and relationships in the media. Houston had spoken publicly about her volatile relationships with both her ex-husband and also her addictions.
It is important for us to look at the relationships in our lives and recognize the healthy ones and also the unhealthy ones. Healthy relationships should be respectful and safe while unhealthy ones can be abusive and generally have ups and downs that bring pain to our lives. Healthy relationships will change as our circumstances do but people in healthy relationships communicate well and also know how to compromise and forgive.
Many relationships are a mixture of both the good, healthy kind and also the bad, unhealthy stuff. However, for people who are rooted in addiction to alcohol or drugs, or both, it is common to be involved in unhealthy relationships. Addiction is a massive obstacle in relationships and there are four patterns in relationships that can tell you if you have a substance abuse problem. They are:
- Drinking and drugs that interfere with romantic relationships.
- Struggles with feelings in relationships and using alcohol and drugs to medicate yourself to cope.
- Feeling alone and misunderstood, especially if people know the truth about your addiction.
- Involvement with people who aren’t emotionally available because you only feel safe when you are using drugs or alcohol.
When you recognize these patterns in yourself, it is time to get help from a professional that specializes in addiction so that recovery can be made possible for your addictions and/or your relationships.