Building New Support Systems After Rehab
- September 4, 2021
- Prosperity Haven
- Addiction Treatment
People struggling with addiction may sometimes go to great lengths to hide it, but the truth is that substance abuse doesn’t exist in a vacuum: There are always other people involved. For example, people who may have enabled addiction, perhaps by buying you extra rounds at the bar after work a few too many times. Or, maybe there are people you hurt with your addiction along the way, and those relationships may be heavily fractured as a result.
Regardless, you still need — and deserve — a support system in recovery, both to hold you accountable and to make you feel like you’re valued as a person, and this may mean leaving some relationships in the past and building new ones. Let’s look at some ways you can develop a support system in recovery.
Think About Cutting (the Right) Ties
It’s never easy to break off any kind of relationship, and the longer one has been around, the harder it can be to end. But unfortunately, some relationships in your life are never going to be good for your future. Sometimes these may be obvious, like the people who used alongside you before you decided to get clean. But other times, it may be less obvious, like the mother-in-law who refuses to stop getting drunk and offering you wine during family gatherings.
These aren’t black-and-white decisions to make. Sometimes it’s worth trying to make a relationship work, other times, it’s not. But the key is going to be your health and safety — if there were ever times to put yourself first, it’s when you feel your hard work and sobriety might be at risk around someone.
Use Your Interests to Find New Groups
You’ll likely have been encouraged throughout your time in rehab and recovery to turn your focus inward, and find positive alternatives to substances to fill your spare time. Maybe that’s getting some work done around the house; maybe it’s learning an instrument. Whatever you choose to pick up, it will give you something to fall back on when you’d otherwise be fixating on substance abuse.
And guess what? You’re far from the only person with those interests! Try out some groups full of those people. You can find sports clubs through your local parks department, for example, or handyman forums or groups online. Dedicated hobbyists are typically very welcoming and love having the opportunity to show others what they know. Don’t be shy — reach out!
Get Involved in Your Alumni Network
Almost inevitably, you make friends in rehab, because you have shared experiences and are building new ones together. And what’s great about many rehab facilities is that there are existing groups of people who have bonded through the process, and now engage in alumni support.
At Prosperity Haven, for example, we have an outstanding Aftercare & Alumni Program, through which you’ll be able to connect with other people who have gone through our program in the past and who can openly — and without judgement — talk about what you’re going through. You can reach out to them anytime you’re in need, and lend an ear to others to strengthen your support network!
Finding Support at Prosperity Haven
Rehab is a time where people look inward and start to make healthier, long-lasting decisions about the direction they want their lives to go — and this includes the people they want to spend their life with. At Prosperity Haven, we help you evaluate the relationships in your life that are helping or hurting you, and teach you the tools you need to develop new bonds in sobriety.
We are an all-male rehab facility that combines holistic and evidence-based therapies to address our clients’ unique needs and set them up for success in recovery. By giving clients a full continuum of care, we create a strong foundation for a happier, sober lifestyle that includes healthier and more sustainable relationships with others.
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, contact Prosperity Haven for more information about how we can help.
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