When someone’s addicted to drugs or alcohol, they may become more difficult to trust. This is a difficult situation for both the addict and the people that they love. Trust issues can seriously impact personal relationships and they can sometimes be hard to repair.
In this article, we’re going to talk about how addiction can lead to trust issues. We’ll also outline some ways that you can repair these issues. Remember, if you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, don’t hesitate to seek San Diego drug rehab.
How Does Addiction Damage Trust?
People who use drugs and alcohol don’t intentionally become untrustworthy. In fact, in some cases, drug users can remain entirely trustworthy. Those who are completely transparent about their addiction can often be trusted.
Strangely enough, one of the reasons that drug users become untrustworthy is because of the way that drug addiction is shunned by society. If there were no social stigma against drug addiction, then drug users would not feel the need to hide their addiction from their friends, their families, or the public.
It is precisely this need to hide their addiction that leads to drug users, and sometimes alcoholics, becoming untrustworthy. There are several ways that this can happen:
● Lying. Most drug users and alcoholics have to lie at some point, whether it’s to an employer, a family member, a partner, or a spouse. In many cases, addicts are also lying to themselves. Nobody wants to admit that they’ve given up control of their life to a substance. It’s often easier to lie to yourself about having control, which then manifests as lying to your loved ones.
● Stealing. Many drug users and alcoholics are forced to steal to fund their addiction. They may steal drugs from a medicine cabinet, money, or possessions that they can sell for money.
● Shady behavior. Even if they are not lying, sometimes drug users can bend the truth or act in strange ways that can cause you to question their honesty.
Repairing Damage to Relationships
Once a drug user or an alcoholic has committed to sobriety, they will likely stop stealing, lying, and acting shady. Unfortunately, that in itself doesn’t repair a relationship.
● Be open and communicative. Many ex-liars and thieves feel incredibly guilty. Giving the user an opportunity to apologize and repent can help repair the relationship.
● Be patient. Trust doesn’t rebuild itself overnight.
● Consider counseling. Talking to a counselor or therapist can help repair a relationship. Depending on the type of relationship you share with the recovering addict, family counseling, or marriage counseling may be useful.
● Give them a chance. While it may be difficult, you must understand that their irrational behavior was the result of the drugs. Give them a chance to be themselves again.
Conclusion
Many drug users and alcoholics can be hard to trust. Fortunately, after sobering up, it’s possible to regain this trust, and with the help of San Diego drug rehab centers, the future is bright. Be patient, honest, and communicative and things will hopefully go back to normal.
