With an alcohol and substance addict as your life partner, you might be leading a very uncertain life. You might have children already. The one you love and trust is clearly addicted and you want nothing more than seeing him/her get back to a normal and happy life. When it comes to rehab, the first step to both supporting yourself and your spouse will be to prepare yourself. Here are some supportive tips:

1. Prepare for the hardest phase of your life
Prepare yourself by learning more about addiction to alcohol and substance abuse. Meet a doctor or visit a rehab to learn the behaviors and treatment methods of addiction. Attend educational and therapeutic workshops where you can learn ways to treat yourself and your partner. Read up on subjects such as behavioral patterns, support, treatments, recovery, and relapse. Preparation can bring in a huge difference in how you react or behave when your partner abuses alcohol and substances. Listening to success stories of how people have bounced back from severe addictions can give you hope and strategies to follow.

2. Communication and motivation
It is practical to feel angry, frustrated, and exhausted. However, you must realize that it is not going to support your future. Instead of those negative emotions, you might want to show some empathy to your partner, but in the right way. They would not want you to force them to immediately change their ways or visit a rehab. You could explain how much they have improved over the course of the addiction. It is wise to refrain from accusing or criticizing them. Speaking in a generalized and concerned tone would prove constructive. When your spouse is under or has finished rehab treatment, the best approach would be to see them as a new person and feel happy for their new life. Praising them will make a huge difference.

3. Patience and forgiveness
Any drug or alcohol addiction didn’t happen in a day. It was years or months of abuse that led to the dependency in the first place. To break an old habit, sometimes it might take longer than it took to build it. Being patient with yourself and your partner is a necessity. There might be moments when your partner has relapsed or is experiencing symptoms of withdrawal. But you might have to stay patient. You might have a lot of pain and anger accumulated in you over the years. You might be considering breaking out of the relationship after all that you have gone through. In those times, it is best to remember the reasons why you got together and stuck together. Remember that you, who are supporting your partner in beating addiction, need support and treatment as well. Remember to seek help and counseling if that’s the case.

4. The moments that matter
The best thing you can contribute is some quality time together. Be it a stroll down a beach or a park, or playing a game together or doing anything that you all can enjoy together. That would be a reminder of why they don’t need substances or alcohol to make life better.