Decreasing Substance Abuse Risks in Married Couples

For individuals with a history of substance abuse, there is an increased risk for living a life of isolation and loneliness. For some individuals with a history of substance abuse, the establishment of a life partner often results in the decreased risk for continued or recurrent substance abuse in the future.

Married couples, in most cases, experience a decreased risk of substance abuse when compared to single adults. While many adults tend to discontinue substance abuse with age, often discontinuing completely by early to mid 30s, there are some individuals who will continue to abuse alcohol and drugs, such as marijuana, into middle and late adulthood.

With marriage, however, these same individuals may experience a greater likelihood for discontinuing the abuse of recreational drugs and alcohol. It is believed that, upon marriage, many adults assume a more mature role into adulthood and often find the use of alcohol and recreational drugs, such as marijuana, are not as "necessary" as they once were.

In addition to maturation and increased responsibility with marriage, many adults, who once used alcohol and marijuana while single, find they decrease their usage with marriage due to improved emotional health. While there is much debate over the emotional health aspect of remaining single, many single adults report using alcohol or marijuana as a way in which to escape feelings of loneliness and isolation. In addition, alcohol and marijuana use may also decrease as the frequency of social contacts begin to decrease with marriage.

Of interesting note, in married couples, is the influence by which husbands and wives may choose to use, or resume use of, recreational drugs. In most cases, husbands may report they resume use of marijuana and alcohol when in the presence of their spouse who also uses the recreational drugs. In contrast, women generally do not resume or continue use despite the activities of their husband. With this knowledge, many couples lean towards the wife as a guide to the continued use of marijuana or alcohol after marriage.

Whether you are single or married, if you find that your risks for alcohol or marijuana use have diminished, it may be attributed to maturation and the onset of middle adulthood. For many adults, however, this transition in use often comes with the beginning of marriage, with women more likely to relegate the process and, to some extent, determine the degree to which a man choose or continues to use alcohol or marijuana after marriage.