Most relationships can be challenging in one way or another. Relationships after rehab can be especially challenging.
That’s because rehab and recovery can be intensely emotional experiences. Many times, people enter therapy during these experiences. This therapy can be pretty intense. It can urge patients to confront their emotions, and some of these emotions might be painful. These painful emotions might have prompted people to abuse drugs and alcohol in the first place.
Rehab and recovery, then, lead people to address painful emotions but doesn’t let them use the drugs and alcohol they once used to soothe these painful emotions. It teaches former addicts new methods to deal with painful emotions.
When they leave rehab, former addicts still might be adjusting to these methods. It can take some time for addictions to develop. It also might take some time to develop ways to treat these addictions.
Former addicts might be in this adjustment phase when they meet potential partners after rehab. Falling in love can complicate their already complicated emotional states. Taking these new relationships slowly might be a good idea. It could allow them to sort through all of these emotions.
Taking new relationships slowly after rehab might be good for another reason. It might allow former addicts to determine if other people are good for them. It’s a sad fact of life, but some people try to take advantage of other people. They could look for people who are just recovering, people who are a little vulnerable or confused. They might then use such vulnerabilities and confusion for their own personal gains.
If former addicts take their new relationships slowly, they can learn more about their new partners before things become too serious too quickly. This could prevent some heartaches if their new partners turn out to be different from what they seemed.
By sparing themselves this heartbreak, people might have a better chance at staying sober. As we said, emotional distress can be a trigger for drug or alcohol abuse. By taking care of their emotions, people have a better chance of taking care of their addictions.
