How do You Recover From A Relationship With An Addict?

·29 min·2 clips

A listener asks AD how to recover after discovering her boyfriend was using her for rides and laundry while hiding his addiction.

The episode begins with AD explaining his recent absence due to illness, tying it to broader themes of self-care and work-life balance. He then reads a detailed question from an anonymous listener who was in a relationship with an alcoholic man. The listener describes being used for practical support like rides and laundry, only to discover he was seeing someone else. AD responds by first advising not to take the addict's actions personally, explaining that addicts operate on a different logic driven by their addiction. He stresses that the listener is worth more than such treatment and should set firm boundaries. AD shares a personal story about a musician friend who became addicted to opioids and sold AD's guitar amp for drug money, leading to the end of their friendship. He recommends Al-Anon meetings for family and loved ones of addicts, describing his experience of the somber atmosphere there compared to the jovial AA meetings nearby. AD also suggests therapy to explore why the listener tolerated such behavior, possibly due to past patterns. Throughout, he reinforces the message of self-worth and paying attention to actions over words. The episode concludes with AD encouraging the listener to keep reminding herself of her value and thanking the audience for their support.

As heard by us

A warm, blunt episode about self-worth, boundaries, and support after addiction has reshaped a relationship.

Recovery after loving an addict is framed here as a hard return to self-worth, boundaries, and the limits of compassion. AD Roundtree gives real weight to the pain addiction creates on both sides of a relationship, but the episode keeps circling a tougher question: when care…

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Why you'd press play

Need a compassionate nudge to stop carrying an addicted partner's life as if it were yours to manage?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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