ABSTRACT
While many couples find themselves desperate to make a decision about the future of the relationship, neither partner can do this until they are back on solid ground. In early recovery, the journeys diverge for couples as the addicted partner needs to overcome the addiction and establish a sober life and the partner needs to survive the trauma and establish a sense of safety and stability. In this chapter the separate journeys of the partner and the addicted partner are explained and couples are encouraged to take responsibility for their own individual recovery. The role of couple counselling is also explored during this initial ‘impact’ stage and how couples can continue to communicate while focusing on their own recovery needs.
