Facing a loved one’s addiction is always difficult, but when that person is part of an addicted couple, new problems emerge. It’s a lesson that Jason and Donna learned the hard way.
For 10 years they shared everything. They had a home, cars, jobs and children. They also shared a meth addiction.
Though it wasn’t immediately intrusive, they soon began to cook their own supply. After they began to cook the drug in their own home, they were arrested and then charged with possession with intent to manufacture, causing them to lost everything: their home, their cars, their jobs, and custody of their children.
Families often have to cope with the addict’s losses during the addiction phase. Knowing that the couple no longer has a job or a home to come back to can make the process of recovery more stressful. Families have to support and care for their addicted loved one during the recovery process, perhaps offering them a transitional home or caring for children as needed. These are all tough issues to face as a loved one seeks recovery, but they are surmountable and ignoring them won’t make them go away.
Key Steps to Overcome Addiction
Eventually, they regained custody of their two children. Unfortunately, they also relapsed and began using again. They were arrested a second time before they agreed that meth was ruining their lives. It took a second round of treatment to help them get the issue under control.
Crystal meth especially is a tricky drug when it comes to recovery. Many find that they can stop using for weeks or months at a time, only to succumb to overwhelming cravings when they least expect it.
Going it alone is rarely a long-term fix, and those who are dependent upon the drug are encouraged to understand the long cycle of cravings that characterizes the addiction and prepare themselves to seek treatment services as needed to avoid the devastation of a return to active addiction.
Starting Over
Today, Jason and Donna are drug-free. Donna holds a fulltime job, and Jason is disabled due to an injury. Together they are the president and vice-president of the alumni drug court group that helped them make their way into recovery, and they are active in church projects. Staying drug-free and staying together as a family with their children brightened both of their futures.
We can help your loved one get the help he or she needs to fight drug dependency and rejoin the family. Call 760.548.4032 now to find out more about the options available to you in drug rehab today.
