Couple in recovery together, one slipping up. Need advice.
Boyfriend and I got sober together after losing everything and being homeless for 3 months of 2025-living in the car. He has been addicted to opioids much longer than I have. He started using about 15 years ago compared to my 5. Anyways we got on methadone program and after a few months upping the dose we were able to find a rehab that allowed us to have that. Methadone was the one thing that changed it for us since we had tried rehab and suboxone many times. He finished rehab, I got to leave because of legal issues.
I lived with my mom for the first 10 months of our recovery and he was in a sober living not too away. We finally moved back in with one another May 1st. We got our own apartment and have been adjusting to life being sober responsible adults. We’re both working. We adopted puppies after the death of our 13 year old dog right after we moved in.
After we both hit a year things started getting weird. With all the stress of living together for the first time in almost a year and everything else I found out he used a few times. I’d say 5 times over the last 3 months. I’m obviously devastated.
The last time was this past Sunday. I came home from work and I could tell something was off. He always does the same things when he gets caught: lies, denies, manipulates, flips it around, blames me for his stress. Well this time I was mad because I felt left out and betrayed. Why does he keep getting to have fun and I am stuck being the wife who sits and worries? The stress of fighting made me say fuck it and want relief myself. So I did use.
I feel awful about it obviously.
I know how addiction works, I have it myself. I know shaming him is not going to help anyone. My question is, if it happens again..do I even address it or should I just ignore it and separate from him until he’s sober? How do I deal with this while also maintaining my own sobriety? I know he isn’t doing this because he doesn’t love me, he just still struggles. He always ends up being sorry and saying he’s not going to do it again and that’s not what he wants in life blah blah.
He’s doing better than he ever has before so that’s not going unnoticed. He works really hard and is focused on advancing in his career and buying us a house someday. I see the motivation and ambition in him but I also see the addiction trying to creep in. I’m so scared. I have no one to talk to because I don’t want them to be disappointed in either of us.
We’ve been together for over 6 years, we’ve been through a lot together. He doesn’t really have any support anywhere else in his life. I love him, I truly do. I know that he is the person I want and need when he’s sober. I’m not considering leaving him now right now. So please try to not immediately choose the “dump him” response.
Posted Aug 12, 2026, 3:21 AM UTC