Overcoming an addiction can be a very difficult and trying process. It can also be very daunting to adjust to life after an addiction. Many people will come to the realization that they have lost sight of what was once important to them before the addiction. In many cases, they will have lost contact with the positive influences in their life, such as friends and family. They may have also given up hobbies and interests that once meant a lot to them. Many aspects of an individual are often lost during a drug or alcohol addiction. Gaining back a full social life is always difficult for recovering addicts, and in some ways, can be more challenging than the addiction itself.

 

Rebuilding After an Addiction

It can be difficult to rebuild your life and forge new, healthy relationships with people. It can also be hard to reach out to people you may have lost contact with and attempt to heal the relationship. It is also vital to realize that most people will have to abandon toxic relationships they have formed during their addiction. They have likely formed relationships with people who are also addicts and are bad influences.

Creating A New Social Infrastructure

Continuing to surround yourself with addicts during your recovery can be detrimental to your healing. It is important to set reasonable boundaries with people. It may not always be necessary to completely remove people from your life. Sometimes, you can just create distance between yourself and negative influences, while still maintaining some sort of contact with them. This depends on the specific situation and is up to the recovering individual to decide which people they should remain in contact with.

Occasionally, the recovering individual may be able to be of service to their loved ones who are still using. They can do this by being a good influence and showing others that it is possible to remain sober and rebuild your life. Again, this should be decided on a case-to-case basis because, often, remaining in the same social circle you were in while you were using can be counter-productive.

 

Creating a new life for yourself will take time and effort. Recovering addicts are likely unused to how their minds and emotions function without having some sort of substance to depend on. There will usually be an adjustment period and it will take time to get used to their new life. This is a good time for the recovering addict to possibly seek out therapy or another form of professional help. Take time to understand who you are without the drugs and become comfortable with your new life.

 

Resources:

http://www.socalsunriserecoverycenter.com/

http://www.beatingaddictions.co.uk/thesocialeffectsaddiction.html

https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/health-consequences-drug-misuse