Overcoming Betrayal & Addiction

Dr. Rob and Tami answer a question from someone who is "white knuckling" their recovery. They're not leveraging their resources to the fullest because their recovery and journey to sobriety are still in secret. Dr. Rob and Tami explain why this isn't considered a healthy path to long-term recovery, despite being sober.   TAKEAWAYS: [:50] I really feel like his recovery journey is too good to be tr...

Dr. Rob and Tami talk about sex offenders in this week's episode and how to work with someone who exposes themselves to people non-consensually. The listener admits that her husband has been exposing himself in public parks for a number of years and is concerned that there is no hope for this person in recovery. Dr. Rob and Tami talk about how you begin to work a recovery program as a sex offender...

Dr. Rob and Tami talk about compulsive liars in this week's episode and the reasoning behind someone who can't seem to tell the truth. If you are a betrayed spouse to someone who regularly lies and deceives, it can be hard to understand why lying can be the go-to safety mechanism for protection. Dr. Rob explains further in this episode why some addicts just can't stop lying.   TAKEAWAYS: [:30] Why...

Dr. Rob and Tami discuss if it's possible for an addict to get better when he/she shows all the signs of not putting in the work. Will this person ever wake up to the reality of the pain that they're causing friends and family? And if not, what can the partner do to protect themself from this situation? Dr. Rob and Tami answer all of this and more.   TAKEAWAYS: [:30] I'm on my last hope with my pa...

Dr. Rob and Tami talk about whether your children can become addicts if there's been generational evidence that addiction and disorders run in the family lineage. The listener also asks if it makes sense to Dr. Rob and Tami to disclose their spouse's addiction to their grown children to warn them about this disease being hereditary. This can be a bit of a complicated question to answer, but Dr. Ro...

Dr. Rob and Tami answer a question on whether you can become "cured" of narcissism. Narcissism is very common among addicts, especially early in recovery. It's important to note that there is a path forward to becoming a more empathic person, but there is a specific process to work through to achieve it. In this week's episode, Dr. Rob and Tami explain that narcissism is often born from deep insec...

Dr. Rob and Tami answer questions from listeners about setting healthy boundaries and what that might look like. You should never feel compelled to do something just to appease the other person, especially if they're on a path to recovery. When you set a boundary, it's not for them, it's a way to take care and protect yourself. Dr. Rob and Tmai explain more in this week's episode.   TAKEAWAYS: [1:...

Dr. Rob and Tami answer a question from an addict that is struggling with their own narcissism. Can this condition truly be cured? In this episode, Dr. Rob and Tami explain what a narcissist is and why so many people in recovery have narcissistic traits and qualities.   TAKEAWAYS: [:45] How do you work with narcissists? [3:35] Dr. Rob explains how you can work on breaking out of your narcissistic...

Dr. Rob and Tami help someone going through the 9th step process and are currently struggling to reconcile with their wife during this process. His partner still feels incredibly hurt and he is wondering how he can make amends while also soothing her. Dr. Rob and Tami give insight on what living amends really means.   TAKEAWAYS: [:35] Do addicts also suffer from fertility issues? [6:00] Whatever y...

Dr. Rob and Tami walk through someone who is struggling to figure out whether they should pour more energy into their loved one or if they should finally make the tough decision to separate. Dr. Rob understands that the listener wants to make sure they've exhausted all their options so that they can leave the relationship 'with no regret', but he explains why that's not always the best approach. ...

Dr. Rob and Tami talk about why a family might put all the focus and blame on the betrayed spouse and not look at the actual family member (their son or daughter who is the one struggling with the addiction) to put their anger and disappointment on. Dr. Rob shares a bit of a reminder that you're working with a broken family unit and they will lash out in unhealthy ways to cope.    TAKEAWAYS: [:25]...

Dr. Rob and Tami answer a question from someone who is struggling to be intimate with their life-long partner. As an addict, it is so much easier to act out and live in a fantasy than live in reality. The reality is, we often do not know how to connect and build real relationships when we're in active addiction. Dr. Rob and Tami share how you can break this toxic cycle and build true and meaningfu...

Dr. Rob and Tami dive into what should an addict do if they're working around the opposite sex. Obviously, quitting is not always an option nor does it solve the core problem. Dr. Rob offers advice on how to set healthy boundaries with female coworkers and how to ensure you're still respecting your spouse in this entire process.   TAKEAWAYS: [:35] Should my husband remain abstinent for 90 days? [6...

Dr. Rob and Tami answer a question from someone who is in recovery, but their partner is not. Is there hope for this relationship? Dr. Rob breaks down why you have to focus on your own journey if you want to get the most out of your sobriety. Maybe your partner will come around, maybe not. Dr. Rob and Tami explain what this means for you.   TAKEAWAYS: [1:05] How can I get over the betrayal and his...

Dr. Rob and Tami answer a question from a man who is struggling to find honesty and empathy during his journey through recovery. His therapist believes he should dive into his childhood traumas, but he's unsure of the reasoning behind it. Dr. Rob explains that the way we feel as a child is how we treat our spouses when we grow up. So, if we felt unworthy of love, unseen, or completely ignored, we...

Dr. Rob and Tami answer a question from a betrayed partner on how to process through everything that has happened to her. She has found out about her addict's affairs and isn't sure how to process or begin the journey of healing. Dr. Rob and Tami share some tips to get the process jumpstarted.   TAKEAWAYS: [1:05] I've been betrayed and my therapist tells me I need to process through the betrayal....

Dr. Rob and Tami answer a question from a betrayed spouse that experienced sexual assault when she was younger. Her SA partner's brother was being very disrespectful and chose not to listen to her wishes/boundaries and intentionally triggered her PTSD. When you're in a situation where you're with mean or rude family members, what should you do or focus on? Dr. Rob and Tami share their thoughts and...

Dr. Rob and Tami answer a heavy question from a listener about whether she should be concerned that her husband is around their children after he revealed some of his porn preferences. Dr. Rob weighs in on his thoughts and what you should do when you find out your addict has been watching very disturbing and "not normal" porn.   TAKEAWAYS: [:25] My husband suffers from depression and it's starting...

Dr. Rob and Tami answer a listener's question who feels very stuck and hopeless. She feels trapped because it seems the aggression in sex with her addict is getting worse and worse. He has intense sexual fantasies throughout the day and wants to keep acting out with them. Is there hope for someone like this?   TAKEAWAYS: [:35] I have performance anxiety. I can't seem to perform now that I'm sober....

Dr. Rob and Tami answer a question from a very upset listener. Her partner is accusing her of being unfaithful after the discovery because he feels she will just want to cheat back after finding out about everything this man has done. She is furious that this man is projecting his insecurities onto her. Dr. Rob and Tami share how this woman can protect herself, heal herself, and move forward from...

Dr. Rob and Tami answer a question from a very hurt spouse. Her husband has found himself sexually attracted to amarried woman, and although he was honest with her, she can't understand why he'll respect the marriage of a stranger but not his own marriage. What's going on with this person? Does he have so little care about their own marriage? Dr. Rob and Tami share some insights.    TAKEAWAYS: [:2...

Dr. Rob and Tami share some light into why an addict might betray their spouse's trust. Was the last 40-plus years of marriage all a lie? The answer is no. Addicts are deeply broken people and, although this is not an excuse, they show love in very puzzling and misguided ways. Dr. Rob and Tami offer some understanding and insight into why an addict might think, and do, the things that they do.   T...

Dr. Rob and Tami get a question from a SA who is experiencing a lot of shame and distress in his current relationship. After disclosing to his wife all the betrayals and hurts he has caused her, she is having a hard time adjusting to this new-found information. She has expressed that she thinks he's disgusting for having certain sexual preferences. Is there any hope for him to reconcile and have a...

Dr. Rob and Tami answer a question from someone who is struggling with their ambivalent emotions against their addict. Dr. Rob senses this betrayed spouse has too much investment in the addict and not enough care or compassion for themselves. It's important as a betrayed partner to practice self-care and to get a support group for your journey also!   TAKEAWAYS: [:25] My SA has had a couple of sli...

Dr. Rob and Tami understand that when you're going through recovery and begin hitting milestones, you start to question why you're really doing all of this. The journey to recovery is often hard and challenging, but it is worth it. If you're starting to get that itch to relapse, you need to connect with your community. There is so much healing in your community!   TAKEAWAYS: [:35] I'm relapsing on...