New relationships can be fun and exciting. But dating a recovering alcoholic is often full of unexpected issues that you may not be ready to handle. Addiction and recovery look different dating every person. Source a person in recovery is so much alcoholic complex than this recovery fact about their life, it is often still a crucial factor in their journey and identity, especially when it comes to forming romantic connections.
When should you date someone in recovery?
There are a lot of questions that naturally come up when you feel a spark with a person in recovery. More than anything, you need to be ready to be patient and supportive, especially when facing stress and emotional triggers together. When you start dating an alcoholic in recovery, this means you also have to be ready to take one day at a time. Alcohol use disorder, or alcohol addiction, has most recently go here to be understood as a chronic mental health disorder.
While it is true that both the person struggling with alcohol abuse and their loved ones are affected by addiction, substance abuse does not mean a person is self-centered or weak. In fact, battling addiction is extremely isolating. And unfortunately, only the individual with an alcohol problem can choose to seek help. Recovery is also far more complex and long-term than has been previously believed.
For a long time, it was believed that sobriety was achieved as soon as a person stopped drinking. However, long-lasting addiction recovery requires a person first address what led to their substance abuse in the first place.
Then they can consciously develop different life skills that they can turn to in place of alcohol in the future. Even after a person has successfully completed alcoholic alcohol treatment program to help them with this process, no one can maintain sobriety alone.
It is only with the support of their family and friends that people in recovery can stay in recovery. Falling in love with a person who is in the process of addiction recovery can feel turbulent and unstable at times. However, dating someone in recovery also means you need to be prepared to dating walk your partner through healthy coping techniques when the two of you face stress together.
Make sure they know where the nearest Alcoholics Anonymous meeting is near their home and whenever they travel. Help guarantee they have reliable transportation to get there whenever they need it.
Some Questions to Ask Before You Start Dating a Recovering Addict
In short, your grounded sense of self and self-worth beyond your relationship will greatly benefit both of you as your partner rediscovers who they are beyond their alcohol abuse. But it can also be easy for codependency to emerge as you support your partner in their recovery. The best thing you can do for them on a daily basis is to model self-love and encourage them to believe in themselves too. But life on the other side of alcohol addiction can make everything a person is feeling seem bigger and harder to manage.
Part of alcohol treatment involves helping a person develop new outlets for high emotions. This can include daily meditation, an exercise routine, or even a focus on cooking at home and healthy eating habits.
One of the recovery concerns related to starting a relationship with a recovering alcoholic is that they can start replacing drug addiction with love addiction. Recovery is because falling in love releases a lot of the same good-feeling chemicals that can be associated with abusing drugs or alcohol. You are allowed to hold your partner accountable by giving your partner feedback about their emotional expression and how their words and actions are impacting those around them.
When you work as a mirror while dating a recovering addict, they can better learn how to recognize their bad habits and more readily establish healthy ones.
Choose Date Activities That Don’t Involve Alcohol
Together, you can end the negative self-talk and destructive behaviors that often alcoholic to addiction in the first place. Especially if a person is in their first year of recovery, the likelihood of relapse is high. Do you want to keep dating article source as your partner has to commit their time and energy to recovery in different treatment programs? Do you have the time and energy in your own life to offer the support and accountability your partner needs?
What plans can you put in place to address potential triggers and moments of relapse in the future? Dating a person invested dating sober living means you are invested in their success. Be prepared for lines to be crossed, and come up with a plan together on how you want to deal with this.
At Skypoint Recovery, we will help you get away from the noise and chaos of your daily life so you can focus on your individual mental and physical needs.
Know Your Limits when Dating a Recovering Alcoholic
Our main goal of Skypoint Recovery substance abuse treatment is to help you take control of your life again! Contact Skypoint Recovery today to learn how we can best help support you on your journey toward rehabilitation. Skip to content. What Are Relationship Deal-Breakers? Treatment Questions?