Getting involved in a relationship while in drug rehab is equivalent to clipping the wings of a baby bird before attempting to teach it to fly. Entering an addiction treatment center for the first time can be terrifying - being forced to look at yourself in sober light for what may potentially be the first time in your life. It isn’t uncommon for newly sober addicts and alcoholics to seek distraction in attempts of avoiding the inevitable, and there is no better distraction than getting romantically involved with an individual who is as mentally ill as you are. Hey, who am I to judge, maybe it truly is love everlasting. All I’m saying is there is about a 110% chance that the relationship will go up in flames within the first 3 months, leaving you even more unnecessarily broken than you were when you first came in. Here are 8 of the more common reasons as to why rehab romances never really tend to work out.

8 Reasons Rehab Romances Fail

1. You Are Vulnerable

All of your emotions are about to be pulled screaming from little holes that a team of therapists will eagerly poke in your heart. You will be ultra-sensitive to literally everything, and the heartache that goes hand-in-hand with a doomed relationship will likely put you over the edge.

2. Filling a Void Does Not a Romance Make

When booze and drugs are taken away, a gaping void will be left in the pits of your soul. You’re going to need to eventually fill that with something of substance – self-understanding, a higher power, acceptance, an unadulterated love of life. Not that emotionally unstable girl you met in the med line at detox.

3. Two Sickies Don’t Make a Wellie

Just like two wrongs don’t make a right and two dead batteries don’t start a car, two newly sober disasters won’t make a successful, lasting relationship. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, but for the most part, it is safe to say that when two unrecovered drug addicts team up, catastrophe is on the horizon.

4. Diseases

Let’s get a little honest with it – people do some pretty grody things when in the throws of their addiction. It isn’t uncommon for an addict to contract a little something during their time on the streets, and when two addicts get together the likelihood that unfavorable things will be passed around increases significantly.

Everyone Will Be So Happy For You… Not

5. NO ONE Will Approve of This

You’ll hear it from your sponsor, you’ll hear it from your therapist, and your parents will be up in arms. Yes, you can argue that nowhere in the Big Book does it say “no relationships”, but believe me – those who suggest you spend a little time with yourself before jumping into anything serious are speaking from personal experience and deep-seated remorse.

6. You-Time Is Crucial

You have no idea who you are. There is no way you can make someone else happy until you know exactly what it is you have to offer. Additionally, you don’t know what you like. You will NOT be attracted to the convicted felon, face-tattooed, scooter driving vape star 6 months from now. Guaranteed.

7. Excuses, Excuses

All you are really doing by getting involved in a relationship while in treatment is putting off the inevitable. The relationship is bound to fail (hate to break it to ya) and you will be forced to look at yourself somewhere down the road. Getting involved is oftentimes an excuse to put off working on yourself – which you will absolutely need to do before you are capable of staying sober for any extended period of time. And before you enter into a healthy romantic relationship with actual potential.

8. Good Things Must Wait

There is a reason why you ended up in rehab in the first place, and it isn’t because you’re a total rockstar at life. Not yet, anyways. If you put in the time and the work and truly commit to healing, recovering, and becoming a better person overall, you will meet the man or woman of your dreams when the time is right and when you are ready.