Feelings of loneliness or boredom can compound substance abuse. You may be tempted to abuse substances to cope with feeling isolated from friends, family members or society in general. Good Landing Recovery can help patients learn how to reach out and make connections to fight against the inherent lonely side of the recovery process.
- It’s also reassuring to know that strong social support is beneficial for your mental health.
- An essential part of recovery is having a solid support system of family members, close friends, and loved ones to help you through tough times.
- Contact us now for more information on this free service to our users.
- They can also be effective outlets for stress and negative emotions that may have caused you to use in the past.
- But, I sure didn’t expect these feelings of loneliness to continue on in sobriety.
Managing feelings of loneliness should be a top priority in early recovery. Tune in to your emotions, recognize the very human need to develop new connections and take actions to make that happen. However, their drug or alcohol abuse may isolate them even further from the people who are still in their lives. The addiction itself—as well as the financial, legal, and personal troubles that come with it—may sow resentment, fear, and distrust in their relationships. Thus, the band-aid solution of substance abuse that people seek, all in order to escape loneliness, will have backfired.
Overcoming Loneliness in Addiction Recovery
The root of loneliness is feeling a lack of connection to those around us. It is the strong feeling that you are separate or different from others that many people in addiction recovery experience. Loneliness is a complex experience, and if we look closely, buried under feelings of loneliness is often a sense of unworthiness. We struggle to connect because deep down we do not believe we deserve to. To truly overcome loneliness we have to look within ourselves as well as to outside companionship. Those moving through the recovery process often experience feelings of loneliness.
- Treatment programs for addiction are standing by to help you take that first step.
- Volunteering will help you feel more connected to the world around you — combatting the sense of separateness – a main characteristic of loneliness.
- This is a great opportunity to work on habits that can improve overall health through simple goals.
- You can build a meaningful life in recovery with these strategies.
- You can find kickball teams, softball teams, flag football teams, volleyball teams, cycling teams – you name it, you can find it.
- In the 12-step programs, there is an emphasis on fellowship, and for a good reason.
It is difficult for people to remain sober if they are isolated. Therefore, although you need to stay away from the people you got high with, it is wise to form a social network to combat loneliness. True friendships can help build self-esteem and give you accountability throughout your recovery. When Bored, Bored, Bored, and Overeating people are held accountable in recovery, they are less likely to relapse. You can practice accountability with counselors in treatment and other companions. While loneliness can be a reason to use while you have a substance use disorder, this feeling can also lead to a relapse in your recovery.
Why Comparing Yourself to Others in Recovery is a Losing Game
It takes time and patience to make new friends and cultivate authentic connections. While creating a new social support circle may be challenging, doing so is critical to maintaining sobriety. If you are in recovery and feeling challenged by triggers, know that you are not alone.
In order to deal with your feelings of loneliness and depression, you have to confront them and recognize them. The inability to do this is often why people begin using drugs or alcohol in the first place. To deal with these emotions in a healthy way, you have to confront https://accountingcoaching.online/expressive-arts-therapy-15-creative-activities-and/ them and then accept them. After drug or alcohol rehab, those in recovery must build a new social support network, often from the ground up. A strong support system can reduce the risk of depression, self-harm, and help individuals recover from addiction.
Connect With Your Support Groups, Sponsor, and Counselors Online
With their help, patients can shed bad connections and forge newer, healthier bonds with people who can better help the patient find and maintain recovery. Ending such connections can make the patient feel even more isolated and lonely as they work their way through recovery. One important and effective way to combat loneliness is to learn to become your own best friend. Increasing your self-esteem and self-confidence will help you become more comfortable being alone, and will attract more positive people into your support network.
Using drugs or alcohol feels like an escape where you don’t have to deal with your emotional pain and loneliness. Unfortunately, when drinking or using drugs turns into an addiction, the loneliness gets even worse as the relationships around you crumble. It’s very common for people with addiction to push their family and friends away. Damaged relationships are one of the biggest regrets that former substance abusers have. As you begin the process of recovery from addiction, it can help your feelings of loneliness to make amends with your friends and family. Restoring your relationships can reattach you to another social circle and give you a chance to reconnect.