The Importance of Good Support Systems in Recovery
If you don’t want to look there, look in your local church or support group. Find people who have been sober for a long time, have a good attitude, and want to help you succeed. Loving and encouraging family and friends can definitely help support your journey to become sober. In fact, getting sober and sustaining sobriety is easier when you have a trusted support system motivating, encouraging, and supporting you along the way.
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- Some of the group’s strategies include positive reinforcement, cognitive restructuring, relaxation, diet, and exercise.
- They should also avoid engaging in behavior that may make it easier for you to relapse or may increase the likelihood of relapse.
- For this reason, patients may be more inclined to shy away from investing effort into building a support network when they graduate from rehab and commit to remaining clean and sober.
- For many people, this involves accepting and apologizing for unethical behavior such as lying, deceiving, or even stealing.
- Below are some of the best ways to build a sober support network in recovery.
Last but not least, just because you receive addiction treatment doesn’t mean you can never ask for help from a professional again. If you are struggling with triggers to abuse drugs, consider receiving professional addiction treatment from a specialist. This way you not only grow your sober support network, but you can also continue to work on yourself and your sobriety journey with a trained professional. Expanding your sober support network goes beyond maintaining relationships and joining recovery groups.
- However, many people do not recognize this until they have a chance to connect with those who have already overcome an addiction.
- While 12-step meetings are the most common type of self-help group for people struggling with addiction, they don’t always fit the needs of everyone.
- Building a support network can be considered a lifelong opportunity, and every chance that you have to make it grow may lead to a lifelong change or improvement.
- Your addiction and health care professionals are people you can call when you have general questions or concerns about your sobriety and health.
- For example, it could be an opportunity to repair any relationships hurt by past substance use.
- Learning to build this sober support network is a critical tool, particularly in early recovery.
- The cost for sobriety support groups ranges from free up to hundreds of dollars, depending on the program.
How to Build a Sober Support Network in Recovery
Over time as your recovery gets more mature, you can stay grounded by supporting and mentoring other people in recovery. Reach out to people you meet in meetings, coordinate a gathering of sober sober network friends, or consider sponsoring another person in recovery. By supporting other people, you’ll be more likely to utilize the support network yourself—and you’ll make it stronger for others too.
Start Your Recovery with Granite
Instead, find people who support your recovery goals and encourage you to be the best person that you could possibly be. Unfortunately, it can sometimes seem challenging to build a support network. At other times, you may forget why it’s important to even have one in the first place. This article will address some of these topics and provide some tips and tricks on how to build a strong and effective support network. One of the most important things to do once you start your recovery is develop a sober support network. This support network will be one of the most important foundations upon which your recovery rests.
Step 2: Reach Out
Sober events such as yoga classes, hiking groups, or art therapy sessions offer opportunities to engage in healthy activities while meeting others committed to sobriety. Attending these recovery support groups meetings can offer opportunities to build new, supportive connections and ensure that you’re not alone in your journey. Online addiction support groups are designed to help members successfully manage their recovery from alcohol abuse or substance use disorder.
- At Pathways Recovery, we provide a comprehensive range of treatment programs to help as many individuals as possible break free of addiction for good.
- One of the most difficult things that many recovering users must face is the damage that has been done to their relationships.
- Plan outings that don’t involve drinking and go to places without ready sources of alcohol consumption.
- Becoming dependent on drugs or alcohol for socialization can further limit an individual’s natural ability to socialize.
Compare The Best Online Sobriety Support Groups
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many traditional groups like AA have started to hold regular virtual meetings. But there are also support groups that have always existed purely online. You can take all the time you need to build a support system that’s right for you. In addition to 12-step and alternative recovery programs, there are a number of support groups that are less structured.
Without a doubt, addiction can fracture relationships with loved ones; however, that doesn’t mean these relationships are broken forever. During your recovery journey, you can rebuild these relationships with trusted friends and family members. Before discussing how you can build your own sober support network, it’s important to understand what a sober support network is. Essentially, your sober support network includes any trusted family members, friends, community groups, addiction specialists, and more who can support you along your sobriety journey. By building a robust sober support network, you can reconnect with supportive friends and family, reduce feelings of loneliness, and create meaningful connections. Being part of a group can help you overcome obstacles, reducing feelings of loneliness, judgment, and isolation.
As described by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there is not a one-size-fits-all treatment program for addiction. Therefore, it’s important to ask questions to ensure that the program you want meets all of your needs. There are multiple factors to consider, including cost, reviews, licensing, accreditations, amenities, and treatments. The first step to getting sober is recognizing and admitting that you have a problem with drug or alcohol misuse. It’s difficult to admit that you have lost control over your substance use. Encourage them to seek professional help and continue attending meetings.
Inpatient Rehab
