A young client planning to move in with his treatment girlfriend when he graduates changed his mind.
His plans changed when he heard she'd started using drugs.
A friend helping her move into her new place discovered drug paraphernalia in the bathroom.
The client canceled graduation plans and is staying longer.
But what if he hadn’t learned about her drug use? He likely would’ve moved in. Then discovered that she’d started using. Would he have been strong enough to resist? Maybe. Maybe not.
Scenarios like this are why we caution clients about treatment relationships.
It’s one thing to know someone in a treatment program on their best behavior. It's another to know them in the real world. A world where they’re facing the kinds of stressors that brought them to treatment.
As to the girlfriend, she left the program early because she couldn't get along.
Does she seem an attractive candidate for a long-term relationship?
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