As you progress through treatment, it’s common to feel as if you need some social element as a part of your recovery. Safe socialization and making friends in recovery is a huge part of healing. It’s common to feel a little uneasy, scared or otherwise out of place at first but as time goes on things get better and more comfortable—even in terms of socializing and making friends.
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Before you take the leap and start making new friends in treatment, consider the following:
Safety comes in numbers so before making a decision to meet with a new potential friend outside of treatment, consider a group outing that keeps you with others.
Keep in mind that friendship is often about listening and understanding—be a good listener just as you would like someone to listen to you.
Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone—new friendships are often built when two people step out of their comfort zone.
It is likely that any friend you make in rehab has similar recovery goals as you do.
As a result of addiction, it’s common to have a problem with trusting others and with trusting yourself to make good judgement—especially in social situations. If you’ve met someone in treatment that you believe would make a good friend outside of treatment, don’t immediate pass the potential relationship off as a negative option simple because you met the person in treatment—remember, you’re in treatment too!
Most of the people who are in recovery are also much like you and looking for a good, clean friendship with likeminded individuals who share similar recovery goals. If you continuously see an individual in treatment, there’s a good chance they are taking the same exact steps you are towards getting well—and there’s a great chance that they are also looking for a friend.
However, don’t drop your guard to a point in which it jeopardizes your healing and recovery. Remember that triggers, spending time with the wrong people, or being confronted with stressful situations can quickly lead to relapse if you’re not careful so keep in mind, when meeting new friends, that your first focus must always be on your recovery and healing.
More Questions?
If you have more questions, call our helpline toll-free to talk with someone who can explain more to you about what it’s like to make friends in treatment. We can even help you find a treatment program near you for immediate help. Call 888-646-0635Who Answers? for assistance.
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