Divorcing An Addict: Navigating The Intersection Of Rehab, Recovery, And Separation

Still, there was something old school and romantic in the way we mimicked real pirates—singing and swaying and getting drink, drank, drunk as the stars came out over our chain of barrier islands. I met my ex-husband working on a magic little sandbar off the North Carolina coast. If you’ve vacationed here, or on any beach in America, you’ve seen the signs to “Rent Jet Skis”, and hop aboard vessels with names like Fish’n Frenzy and Knot Today. Remember the movie Wedding Crashers, when Claire Cleary giggles at her sister’s cheesy, nautical wedding vows between captain and mate?

How Many People Relapse After 1 Year Sober?

divorce rates after sobriety

But with treatment and AA, thesepeople learn to manage the resulting symptoms. They manage stress with prayer and meditationand by living life one day at a time. When they need help, they turnto other people for support and encouragement. Longitudinal research indicates that relationship stability is a divorce rates after sobriety significant predictor of established long-term recovery, 8-years post primary treatment.

Can I Drink and Still Have a Happy Marriage?

divorce rates after sobriety

States like Illinois (1.3%) and Texas (1.4%) follow closely, benefiting from stronger cultural and economic incentives to maintain marriages. From 2020 to 2022, most states saw a modest decline in divorce rates, reflecting a continuation of the long-term trend of reduced divorce prevalence across the United States. The decline may be attributed to the societal and financial uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, as couples possibly delayed divorces during the peak of the crisis. This is often when unhealthy coping mechanisms come into play.

Credentialing Partners

My husband would hang in Substance abuse there for a few hours but would opt to give his lungs and liver a break and go inside to watch TV on the couch – like a normal person. I’d have to chug half a bottle of hard cider and chain smoke 2 or 3 cigarettes before I could feel like a person again. Someone who’s stress levels weren’t spiked by chaos, culture clashes, and kamikaze drivers. The culture shock, strains of a new marriage, being so far removed from family and familiarity, and the job… oh my God, the job. In the first few months, the novelty of a new country and life was enough to keep my drinking a mostly social endeavor, albeit a reckless one. We gladly paid upwards of $100 USD per person for 4-5 hours of unlimited drinks and buffets.

What Does Life After Divorce Have in Store for You? Start Your Next Chapter Today.

divorce rates after sobriety

When Ben and Nikki filed for divorce, Ben was 13 years sober. Dr. Cohen was formerly married to an alcoholic whose addiction heavily affected their marriage and divorce. There is no doubt that there is a psychological element to addiction, but there are a lot of hurdles and misconceptions people wouldn’t expect when dealing with addiction. Millions of people struggle with drug and alcohol addiction in the United States. The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper offers comprehensive addiction treatment for drug and alcohol addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions. For instance, in cases where one spouse’s alcoholism results in physical or mental cruelty towards the other spouse, this could be cited as a ground for fault-based divorce.

How to Build Healthy Relationships in Recovery

She has a passion for working with clients to help them develop a more profound sense of identity to navigate depressive and anxious symptoms. She’s passionate about working with clients to work through trauma and improve mental stability. In her personal life, Karlie likes reading sci-fi and fantasy and going to Marvel movies. She enjoys playing board games and having home karaoke nights with her friends. Karlie says the best advice ever received is to not fall in love with potential. Courtney’s professional experience in substance use treatment began in a holistic residential treatment center.

  • Sometimes, even property division or debt obligations can resurface if hidden assets come to light or if your ex tries to burden you with financial responsibilities that aren’t yours.
  • The average length of second marriages is 9.2 years for men.
  • This is largely attributed to its liberal marriage and divorce laws, particularly in Las Vegas, where spontaneous marriages can be easily followed by swift divorces according to the World Population Review.
  • Divorce statistics show that a person’s job can affect the likelihood of their marriage ending.

How can I help my spouse with addiction recovery?

  • Drinking loads of alcohol had always been my way of fitting into a world I didn’t feel I belonged in, and despite how flawed the method, it was praised and supported by most everyone, most everywhere.
  • A few decades ago, the average woman got married in her early or mid-twenties across the countries shown.
  • I knew my drinking caused pain and anger, but I never let my family down in tangible ways, so I thought time would heal our wounds.

But rules are made to be broken, and while I followed the various plans enough of the time to give my wife hope, I got drunk and belligerent often enough to crush her soul. My wife, Sheri, is the product of two divorces in her formative years, while my parents are still married to this day. If you’ve never learned how dramatically our adult lives are informed by our childhoods, then you probably haven’t battled trauma, asked questions and listened carefully to the answers.

Leave a Reply