ERP 275: How To Build A Healthy Relationship When In Recovery - An interview With Chantal Jauvin

Substance abuse disorder wreaks havoc on a relationship with trust being one of the first to erode. Chantal Jauvin, an attorney and book author, joins the podcast to talk on the ASCENT approach which couples in recovery can practice to make their recovery journey successful and reignite the love that may have been lost due to addiction.

Chantal, for all her expertise which made her General Counsel of a Fortune 500 company, did not know how to save her husband from the grips of addiction or building a relationship while in recovery. It took years of soul work and interactions with other couples to produce her second book, Love Without Martinis, to share the lessons she learned along the way.

Check out the transcript to this episode in Dr. Jessica Higgin's website.

In this episode: 

03:59 Chantal learns about substance use disorder and collects couples' stories to share to others as a learning tool. 

06:12 Recovery covers three aspects: The one suffering, the one who loves them, and the relationship itself.

13:50 Couples can recover successfully from substance abuse with the ASCENT approach.

18:09 A: Assess readiness to change. Shift focus from what cannot be done to what can be done. The Stoplight Method makes it smoother to move areas that are red to yellow and eventually green.

28:07 S: Structure your time. This creates accountability, a key aspect in building trust, and conveys what matters to you and what you truly value.

31:33 C: Create your community. Addiction creates trauma and emotional baggage, so meeting new people, it provides a fresh start without the guilt associated with past behaviors. It also teaches you on how to set healthy boundaries.

34:43 E: Engage in your life. To feel the joy of living, to get fired up, you need to assume responsibility for your own life. Engaging in what makes you happy helps your own individual growth, as well as the growth of the couple itself. 

38:47 N: Nurture your spirituality. This allows each partner to pause and become self-aware to break the chain reaction of action and reaction which is so prevalent in substance abuse disorder. 

41:24 T: Treasure your partnership. A touch, smile, or compliment says, "I see you" and creates meaning.

Mentioned

• Chantal's website
• Chantal's Facebook
• Chantal's Instagram
• Chantal's LinkedIn
• Love Without Martinis Amazon page (*Amazon Link)

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*With Amazon Affiliate Links, I may earn a few cents from Amazon, if you purchase the book from this link.