It’s a feeling you never forget: the fear you have when you have to meet new people and make new friends. For young people who worry about peer pressure and have little self-confidence, this fear is especially strong. For young people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol, the problem of leaving behind old friends and making new ones is even more complicated.Why Disconnect?
Deciding to leave the life of addiction behind is never an easy choice. Perhaps your family intervened, or perhaps you grew weary of having no control over yourself and your life. Whatever your reason for entering rehab, that decision has propelled you in a new direction and opened up new possibilities.
The time you’ve spent in rehab has been a time of growth. You have been educated about your addiction and the mental and functional conditions that may have caused it. You have learned better strategies for handling stress and forming social bonds. You have been introduced to the serenity of meditation and gratefulness, and the healthy enjoyment of garden-fresh food, outdoor exercise, and adventure recreation.
Your old friends have not shared in these changes, and they probably do not understand or share your new goals. In fact, they may represent a significant risk of relapse for you by:
• Encouraging participation in risky behaviors
• Sharing false memories of the fun of your addictive life
• Ridiculing & undermining your commitment to sobriety
• Questioning your loyalty & friendship
Grow a Circle of Friends in Sobriety
You are bound to have some sadness when you realize that you have grown irreconcilably apart from old friends. But your first concern for maintaining your sober life is to do what is healthy for you and avoid any situation or person that might tempt you back into addiction. As you continue in your sober life, look to your support community for new friends, new interests, and continuing encouragement. You’ll find yourself growing in confidence and enthusiasm—and may discover that making new friends isn’t so scary after all.
Life Skills Training for Recovery Success
Life skills coaching addresses the doubts and fears of recovering young adults, and it is just one aspect that sets Hope Academy Rehab apart from other programs. Our team helps you target real life problems like confronting old friends, returning to work after rehab, or re-enrolling and completing college. If you are a young adult who is ready to embrace sobriety and start living a new life, call 866-930-4673 to begin the enrollment process today.
