Addiction is very difficult to deal with, both for the addict themselves and their spouses, including those seeking divorce advice after trying their best to hang in there.
It is much more than a choice for most people dealing with addiction and more of a sickness, which can make it even more devastating.
As with other illnesses, most spouses do wish to honor their commitment to support each other “in sickness and in health,” but there can come a time when divorce ends up being the best option for one or both spouses.
The Difficulty of Dealing With A Spouse With Addiction Problems
Divorce advice lawyers find that as much as spouses want to stay together or as much as one spouse wants to remain supportive, there can come a time when staying in the marriage becomes detrimental to both partners and not just the one dealing with the addiction.
As hard as it may be for the supportive spouse to even consider divorce, sometimes leaving the relationship is essential for them to retain any degree of control and happiness in their own lives.
What Are Some Red Flags Saying It's Time to Move On?
This is not to say that an addict does not deserve the support of a loving and dedicated spouse, but there are red flags divorce advice attorneys reference to look out for that suggest the addict does not want to improve and the supportive spouse will not be able to help them.
Some of these red flags include:
- An addicted spouse who continues to deny an addiction exists or continues to refuse treatment, both for their own safety and the betterment of their personal and professional relationships.
- An addicted spouse who blames their spouse for their addiction, highlights their spouse’s own problems as reasoning, and refuses any kind of psychological counseling.
- A supportive spouse who begins making excuses for their addicted spouse’s behavior to rationalize it.
- A supportive spouse who ends up making all the sacrifices to try to keep the marriage together while the addicted spouse makes fewer or none due to their addiction.
Divorce advice law firms find that once these red flags appear and attempts to deal with them are either ignored or refused, it may be time for the supportive spouse to consider divorcing.
Resolving addiction and restoring healthy relationships can only happen when the addicted spouse is aware of their condition, accepts it, and is willing to work together with their spouse on getting the help they need and slowly getting healthy.
Some Problems Just Cannot Be Fixed
As much as it may pain a supportive spouse to leave, they cannot fix the problem on their own.
When offers of counseling, treatment, and other support are continually rejected and the supportive spouse is left continually sacrificing their own health and happiness, as hard as it may be, divorce might be the best option.
In some cases according to the advice of divorce attorneys, it can even be the change that forces the addicted spouse to take an honest look at their problem and finally getting themselves the professional help they desperately need.