Entering into a drug and alcohol addiction treatment program is the right step towards improving your health. Yet, it may seem like everything is different once you are on the other side of the addiction curve. Things like meeting new people suddenly become more challenging. Having an active social life in early recovery is important, however, in that it can be an important component of helping you remain sober. Staying social in recovery doesn’t have to be a challenge or a risk with the right tools and a bit of creative thinking. At Spokane Falls Recovery Center, we’re here to help.
Social Life in Early Recovery Starts with Therapy
To become healthy, you will need to work on yourself and begin to manage your addiction. This means learning what fuels your addiction issues, what factors have contributed to causing them, and how addiction impacts your relationships. A significant part of this work is done during therapy. In individual and group therapy sessions, you will learn to recognize negative thought processes and build stronger communication skills. These types of sessions will allow you to build a strong support network of individuals with similar recovery to your own. They will also “reprogram” your understanding of social interaction to include activities that do not involve drugs or alcohol.
Developing a Safe Social Life in Early Recovery
Staying social in recovery also means spending time focused on creating new relationships and engaging in life without the social crutch of drugs and alcohol. How can you have a social life in early recovery when you are just out of addiction treatment programs and unsure of what’s to come? Here are some tips:
- Don’t be afraid to tell people that you no longer drink alcohol or use substances. It’s that simple. If a person needs to drink or use drugs, you don’t need to be around them.
- At the same time, don’t feel you have to tell everyone your story. While you can open up when you desire to, you don’t have to feel compelled to share your private thoughts and experiences.
- Seek out social situations where there are few risks. This is especially important early in recovery and may include group gatherings at religious facilities or community events.
- When meeting up with friends, skip the bars and restaurants. Instead, meet up in the park or plan an activity together.
Turn to local community organizations and recovery meetings to meet new people. Look for people going through the same thing you are.
What About Romantic Relationships?
Finding that special someone may be a key part of your goal of staying social in recovery. Initially, you may want to focus on your health and well-being. That may mean not starting new relationships until you are confident in who you are and in the stability of your mental health.
At the same time, when you are ready to build on your social life in early recovery, set out to find someone who loves you for who you are and understands your addiction issues. That means not having to pretend to be something you’re not.
Handle Difficult Relationship in a Safe Place
Sometimes developing a social life in early recovery means working on, or walking away from, past relationships. If people encourage or enable you to use drugs or alcohol, that creates a risk in your life. Once you are on the path to recovery, you must reframe all of your personal relationships with your sobriety goals in mind.
If you decide that a particular relationship is worth repairing, but you are not sure how to do that, consider turning to a therapist or addiction counselor for help. Doing so can provide you with a way to overcome these challenges in a safe environment. It may be the ideal way for you to learn how to manage these stressful situations later, too.
You Can Recover and Reclaim Your Life – Call Spokane Falls Recovery Center Today
It is possible to have a social life in early recovery. To get to that point, you’ll need to ensure you are mentally and physically healthy. Don’t overlook or underestimate your need for support at this early stage. Our team at Spokane Falls Recovery Center can help you work on staying social in recovery while also staying focused on your long-term health. Reach out to our expert, compassionate team online or call 844.962.2775 today to learn more.
