How Going Sober Changed My Social Life

If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, therapy with a marriage and family therapist can help. When we aren’t posting here, we build programs to help people quit drinking. When we aren’t posting here, we build programs to help people quit drinking. Not all relationships survive when one https://ecosoberhouse.com/ partner gets sober and the other does not. However, that does not mean that all relationships where that happens are doomed. Learning to feel emotions again, including positive feelings of love and intimacy, can be one of the most challenging parts of recovery, but also one of the most rewarding.

• I’m a therapist and work in substance abuse and dropped my parter off at rehab bc it was his choice, I’m very proud of him.
• Talk to your sponsor and your support system, about the relationship itself and the issues that will inevitably arise when you embark on a new emotional adventure.
• I thought my partner was sober and gave him an ultimatum that it was me or drugs 6 months in to our relationship- he “chose me”.
• Because drugs or alcohol aren’t an all-consuming addiction anymore, spouses can fully be present and enjoy each other’s company—and that can lead to a renewed appreciation of each other.
• When recovery is working for both partners, it may seem as if they are getting to know each other all over again.

They may not know what to expect or understand what it means to you. As is appropriate, take the initiative and contact them to show them that you are still the same person as you were, but a much healthier version than they have seen for some time. You still have a sense of humor and can still have fun; you are free from chemicals.

Identifying Harmful Relationships in Recovery

However, when other people come to depend on your substance use for reasons like having fun, feeling superior or maintaining the family dynamic, your sobriety could be viewed negatively. In these conversations, assertive and clear communication paired with attentive listening will increase your chance at a successful and positive relationship. The toxic relationships are with the people who laughed when you said it was time to make marriage changes after sobriety a change. The people who made you feel bad about yourself, that were abusive, controlling, or overbearing. The people who continue to offer you drinks or drugs, despite your commitment to sobriety. The people you used to take drugs with, and the relationships that were founded on the basis of partying and getting high. These are the people that can threaten your sobriety, the relationships that will only be toxic for your future.

Going for help is positive and should never be used against someone to tear them down. The first step in mending fences is to extend the proverbial olive branch. If you are unsure how a former acquaintance will receive a phone call, or you want some time to consider what you would like to say, send an e-mail or a letter. When you are ready, tell the person you are in or have completed your addiction treatment, as the case may be. Let them know you are in the process of getting your life back on track and that you would like them to be part of it.

Finding Romance in Recovery

Yet, despite all the risks and dire health warnings, alcohol seems such a benign substance. Perhaps it’s the allure of its origins—a uniquely natural process. Telling people about your recovery should be a conversation full of back-and-forth communication, not a one-sided lecture. Ask them questions and let them ask some back to improve understanding.

These may or may not be deal breakers for you, but it’s something to consider before beginning a serious relationship. The content on AlcoholRehab.com is brought to you by American Addiction Centers , a nationwide network of leading substance abuse and behavioral treatment facilities.

Healthy or Toxic? Knowing Right from Wrong Relationships in Recovery

For some, they must learn how to express their feelings to others instead of keeping everything inside. Unhealthy relationships such as those with another addict who isn’t willing to get help may not be the best for the person in recovery. They may need to end the association until the other person is ready to make changes. Anyone in this situation will need support because it can be a difficult process, especially right after they stop using. Anyone who has been in an abusive relationship should step away from the situation so they can make a new start.

If you have questions about addiction recovery, we invite you to contact us today. As a person in addiction recovery, your priority must be your own sobriety. Focusing on the other person’s behavior takes away from that, and you cannot change that person in any case.

Stay Cool and Calm

You had close mentors, support groups, and sober peers to help you navigate the trials and errors of recovery. You always had someone to call or a shoulder to lean on for support. These were sober, healthy, positive relationships – the cornerstone of a successful recovery and life. Oftentimes we feel an obligation to see our family, get together with them, maybe even live with them. We feel an alliance with them, a connection because we come from the same group. We find ourselves putting up with behaviors, making excuses, and harboring resentment all because we feel obligated to have a relationship with people who we consider our family. Having relationships that cause stress or anxiety can be detrimental to our sobriety.

And for those navigating those precarious waters, the standard advice of avoiding romantic relationships for the first year is often seen a suggestion that’s optional, to put it mildly. At the core of addiction recovery lies healthy relationships.

If lies continue to be part of the relationship, neither trust nor a healthy marriage can be rebuilt. It can be helpful to decide on a system that will help regain trust.

My expectations were consistently exceeded by the expertise of the staff, the content of the program, and the overall respect and care I was treated with. I would highly recommend to anyone suffering from drug or alcohol dependency. If a couple has used the tools to grow a healthy relationship, they could find themselves in a thriving marriage.