Addiction is never a simple problem. The factors that influence drug misuse and ultimately addiction can be different for each and every individual. Social and emotional factors play a big role in the way someone uses drugs and interpersonal relationships are part of that equation as well. When a person is in a codependent relationship with someone suffering from addiction, the nature of the relationship can change dramatically as well as how to get the person the help they need. Many times it is easy to miss the signs of addiction and codependent behavior because emotions can cloud judgment and make it harder to realize these issues.
At Ocean Coast Recovery, we realize that these situations can be difficult for all parties involved and that only by understanding both the nature of addiction and dependency and how the two interrelate to one another. In this post, we will discuss what addiction is and what codependency is. We hope that with the right information our clients will have the tools they need to seek help for addiction so that they can get on the path to sobriety and stay that way.
What is Addiction?
Addiction is a disease that affects millions of Americans every day. To make addiction and codependency simplified, it helps to understand what each of those things means to both the addicted individual and their partners, friends, and family.
Addiction can be described as the inability to stop using a particular substance (drugs or alcohol) despite the negative consequences that a person may face. Addiction is caused by several factors including a chemical dependence on the substance that builds up in the body over time. This is often the result of the way that drugs or alcohol affect the body, such as altering the cells in the brain or central nervous system.
This is why dealing with addiction can be so difficult, because addiction is not simply an urge to drink or use drugs. Codependency is a relationship that can make addiction even more difficult to deal with because of the emotional factors that are at play.
What is Codependency?
Codependency typically involves a relationship wherein one person has extreme physical or emotional needs that are met by the other person in the relationship. This forms a situation in which the person with needs cannot live without the other person and the person fulfilling those needs is dependent on or feels obligated to the other person.
The reason this is harmful is that in most cases, both parties in the relationship suffer. Both parties are unable to be independent individuals and one person has their needs fulfilled, while the other person neglects their own needs.
These relationships most often occur with family members, partners, and spouses which makes it more difficult to see the signs of codependency and figure out how to break them. With codependent relationships that involve addiction, this is incredibly dangerous because one party ends up enabling the addiction of another, creating a cycle that is difficult to break and may even involve both parties abusing substances.
Addiction and Codependency Simplified
It can be hard to realize that a relationship has become codependent, but when it comes to addiction, the only way to break the cycle is for the person addicted to get the help they need. This involves not only getting clean of the substance, but identifying the factors that are causing the codependency and drug use.
A professional treatment facility like the one here at Ocean Coast Recovery works to treat the whole person by providing them with luxury inpatient care that allows them to step away from the situation they were in and focus solely on recovery. Our recovery program starts with an individual evaluation, followed by detox.
Once detox is complete, we move on to therapy to treat the individual addiction. This may involve one on one therapy, group sessions, or other types of counseling, but the goal is to identify the underlying cause of the addiction and to help rebuild the life and relationships of the client so that when they return to their everyday life, they are able to face it without drugs and alcohol.
If you or someone you know is involved in a codependent relationship that includes addiction, contact Ocean Coast Recovery today to get the help you need.
