Tips to Make Friendships Last

Simply put: Good friends are good for you and for your overall recovery. Not only can the right friend help you get through life’s ups and downs, but friendship has been linked to a slew of health benefits, including a reduced risk of anxiety and depression. 

Like anything else in life, however, friendship requires work and devotion to ensure it keeps going. So how can you make your relationships last? Start nurturing your connections today with these tips.

• Focus on the present. Don’t get caught up in what you used to do together. Instead, embrace the present and future and accept your new lives and roles within the friendship.
• Put your smartphone down! Spending quality time with a friend means making eye contact and paying attention to the present conversation or task at hand. Similarly, texts and Facebook posts should be supplements (not replacements) of person-to-person interaction. 
• Be honest and open. It’s okay to talk about why you value you each other as a friend as well as what you could both be doing better. Consider writing down these answers and ask your friend to do the same to spark a healthy dialogue.  
• Really listen. Don't just wait for your turn to talk when you’ve having a conversation. You’ve likely heard that communication is a two-way street – and this means that you need to concentrate on what your friend is saying and think carefully about what your friend needs to hear from you in response.

Get Aftercare at Hope Academy
Upon returning home from rehab, it’s all-too-easy to gravitate to former patterns, dangerous environmental triggers, and toxic relationships, so we created a supportive transition between treatment completion and the return home to give you the best chance at sustained sobriety. To learn more, call: 855-221-1717.

Which Friends Support My Sobriety?

Now that you’re in recovery, it’s time to start thinking about the types of friends you’ll need going forward to help support your recovery. Friendships can be a vital part of your lasting sobriety, but the wrong friendships can also be a slippery slope back into using. 

It’s important to realize that some former friends are better left alone – and this hold’s true no matter how long you’ve known them. 

Developing new friendships and finding ways to make old friendships work with your new sober life can be a challenge. A good place to start is to look at your buddies now and be honest about how they add or detract from your life and recovery goals. 

12 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Buddies
Here are some questions to help you make smarter choices about friendships during recovery.

• Is he/she addiction-free? Hanging out with those who drink, use drugs, gamble, etc., will make sticking to your recovery that much harder. 
• Has he/she questioned or supported your decision to get sober? 
• Will he/she serve as a trigger in any way?
• Does this person threaten my sobriety in any way?
• How does this person make me feel? 
• Does he/she take time to listen to my feelings, hopes, ideas, and concerns?
• Does he/she judge or blame me in any way?
• Is our friendship healthy? Or is it one-sided?
• Does he/she support my long-term recovery goals?
• Does being around this person make me a better person? 
• What are our common interests? Do they support my recovery plan?
• Do I want this person around for my journey toward a better, sober life?

Start Living Sober

Hope Academy's sober living homes are safe, drug-and alcohol-free environments in which peers can support each other in their sobriety while beginning their new adventure toward collegiate success. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.