Sometimes making friends, especially forever friends, is challenging when seeking substance use treatment. It is often difficult to create a connection and make close friends when battling substance use. Many people struggle to make healthy new friendships, and they may feel overwhelmed, especially in the beginning stages of recovery. However, substance use treatment can lead you towards a set of forever friends, if you have patience and support along the way.
As you’d expect, forever friends are friends you make that last forever. These friends can help you focus on treatment and encourage you through challenging times. They help you along your recovery journey, ensuring you stay accountable to your goals. When you establish healthy friendships, you can build a successful recovery path and a happier life.
During the recovery process, there may be moments when you wonder if it’s worth continuing on the path. Having a friend that relates to you can help you refocus on your goals, pushing you towards positive success rather than holding you back.
Finding friends during recovery will give you someone to talk to who supports you and gives you advice for coping with difficult challenges in life. If you’re nervous about developing new friendships, understand you’re not alone. Almost every individual who seeks recovery is nervous about finding friends or meeting people that can relate to their situation.
Individuals who have been through substance use treatment or were close to someone who went through substance use treatment can offer support and perspective based on their own experiences that can help you through your own path.
While it may seem hurtful or uncomfortable to break off previous friendships, those that want to encourage your healthy, happy life are friends who are there for you when you need them and for the right reasons. When you build a powerful support group of friends that are invested in your success, your chance to maintain recovery and sustain abstinence is far greater.
Making friends in recovery helps protect you from relapse, triggers, and emotional imbalances, while also giving you the emotional and physical support you need to combat substance use. To make friends that last forever, you must remember to not fear rejection. Many people who go to recovery have low self-esteem, which often co-occurs with the fear of rejection.
Everyone in the world fears rejection on some level. When you choose to make new friends, you open up the door and allow yourself to be vulnerable. Therefore, if you’re looking to make forever friends, you need to accept your vulnerability and boost your confidence levels.
Some places that you can meet new people or create forever friends are meetings, fellowships, classes, clubs, community events, community activities, online meet and greets, job-related atmospheres, and treatment facilities.
The easiest way to make progress in creating a friendship is to break the silence. Start a conversation where you can easily have a conversation. For example, you could ask open-ended questions, such as inquiring if they like reading or how they feel about the scenery or food. You can also offer compliments, which can build confidence and spark a positive response.
Next, you can learn to listen to what they have to say. A good friendship is a two-way street; therefore, learning to be a good listener and staying focused on the conversation helps build trust between you. When you listen to the other side of the conversation, you can follow up with additional questions or confidence-boosting responses. This establishes the initial spark of friendship.
While you may fear a silent moment in a conversation, remember to use those moments to think about what you’re going to say next. Silent moments in conversations are normal, not awkward, and most people appreciate a thoughtful comment or a moment of brief silence before the next topic is brought around.
When you look to create meaningful relationships in recovery, remember that creating a long-lasting friendship takes time and patience. Enjoy the friendships you establish because you are building trust and consistency.
Making friends is sometimes nerve-wracking for those who first enter recovery or for those who are not accustomed to opening up to others. However, when you build a strong support system, you establish a resource and friendship that can last forever.
The friendships and relationships you make in recovery will be there anytime you need them. Your powerful support group of forever friends increases your chances of maintaining your commitment. Keep your focus and increase your quality of life by establishing and maintaining new forever friends in recovery, as they influence the recovery path and are a vital component of the recovery journey.
At NorthStar Transitions, we understand that establishing a group of forever friends improves your recovery progress. Social connections help solidify your good health and provide emotional support during challenging times, giving you a greater sense of purpose and satisfaction in life. Your social connections provide a strong relationship between you, the outside world, and your recovery progress. Building forever friends in recovery will enhance your quality of life and keep you moving forward in a healthy lifestyle. Our team of compassionate professionals is there to help you make friends while providing reassurance, counseling, and motivation throughout the entire recovery process and long after. You don’t have to go at it alone. We believe having a shoulder to lean on can improve your life and make friends that last forever. If you need guidance or help with substance use or want to learn how to create new sober forever friends, reach out to us at (303) 558-6400.
