How to Live in Recovery and Still have a Social Life
Getting past substance abuse can be difficult, not only because of physical and mental addiction, but also because it can seem like if you stop using your substances, your social life is going to take a nosedive.
Thankfully, that is simply not true. Living in recovery and having a social life is not only possible, but it is something that millions of people do daily. Your life can still be full and fun while in recovery. If you want to make your social life easier while in recovery, explaining your situation to your friends, finding new places to hang out at, and meeting new people can make sure that your social life remains strong.
Explain to Your Friends
You don’t need to hide your recovery from your friends. Explain things to them so they can understand and be willing to help you move past your addiction. If they really care about you, they won’t care that you are fighting your addiction.
Explain your recovery to your friends so they can help support your new lifestyle.
In fact, friends can be a strong support system that can be there to help you avoid situations that could lead to relapse. Make sure they understand where you are at with your life so that they don’t accidentally inhibit your progression through recovery.
Samhsa.gov describes how substance abuse can cause huge effects on individuals, their families, friends, and communities. It is likely your friends will be happy you are attempting to recover from your addiction.
According to CASA, nine out of ten people that have problems with substance abuse starting using before the age of 18. This figure alone makes it evident how having the right friends can make a marked difference.
Find New Places to Hang Out
Don’t go around the same old areas that caused you fall into your addiction or that fueled it to continue. You will want to form new habits so as not to relapse. This doesn’t mean your social life is dead. Simply find new things to do. Finding new things to do, new places to eat, and new hobbies to have can make your friendships even stronger than they were before.
Experiencing new things can be a great way to have fun and avoid relapsing at the same time. According to Harvard Health, drugs can take over your brain and your way of thinking. It is important to make sure you focus on things that are good for your new sober lifestyle.
Meet New People
If you feel like your friends still aren’t helping you after you have explained to them your situation, you can always meet new people. Sometimes getting a new friend group can make your social life even more interesting than it was before.
New people can introduce you to new things, new habits, new places, and more. Simply because you are recovering doesn’t mean you have to be a recluse and stay ostracized from society. Changing up your habits a bit is all it takes and you can still have a fun social life.
Don’t let your recovery stop you from having fun. If you are concerned about your addiction, recovery, or relapse, you can call 800-487-1890 (Who Answers?) to be connected to a real life professional that is there to help and assist you.