New Jersey addiction rehab, Summit Behavioral Health, knows that early recovery can be a time of vulnerability and fragility. So how can you maintain and make new friendships while in your new founded recovery? It’s important that you take your time when you are in early sobriety and not rush into anything that you will be unable to handle. But, there will come a time that you begin to feel like spending time around friends or making and building new friendships.
When that time comes, there are a few key things that you can do to help smooth the way:
- Be interested. In early recovery, it isn’t unusual for your thoughts to be all over the place, making it hard to pay attention. Try to stay in the present moment, letting go of other thoughts, when you are spending time with another person.
- Ask questions. People feel special and appreciated when they are heard and understood. Asking questions about the other person will show that you are interested and attentive.
- Show empathy. When you are aware of another person’s feelings, it allows you to connect with them. Showing that you understand what they are going through is one of the simplest and quickest ways to build the bonds of friendship.
- Make eye contact. Sometimes in early recovery, people feel guilt and shame and that can make it hard to maintain eye contact with others. But to truly make an emotional connection, there has to be a visual connection. Try to identify the times that you are avoiding eye contact and think about why. Then you can work on ways to improve your eye contact with others.
There is no doubt that coming out of active addiction is a time in which people feel vulnerable, raw and uncomfortable. But by finding supportive friends, you will learn that those feelings don’t last. While becoming more sociable isn’t something to be rushed, it can be of great encouragement and can make early sobriety much more manageable.
The important thing to remember is that early sobriety requires that you keep your recovery at the forefront of everything. It has to be a priority. If you are ready to make new friends, be sure that you are choosing people who will support your new life, other people who are in recovery are often good choices.
Getting Help at Summit Behavioral Health
If you or a loved one suffers from addiction, Summit Behavioral Health can help you get on the road to recovery. We offer detox, outpatient, and residential treatment programs for drug and alcohol addictions. Please contact us today for more information.
FOR DRUG & ALCOHOL DETOX & PERSONALIZED 12 STEP PROGRAM ADDICTION TREATMENT
Call Today:
Serenity at Summit - New Jersey Addiction Treatment Centers - 609-422-5788 (Union, NJ)
40 Minutes from New York City
Serenity at Summit - New England, Addiction Treatment Centers
978-574-5999 (Haverhill, MA)
45 Minutes from Boston, Massachusetts
MEDIA CONTACT:
Rebecca O’Mara
Executive Director Brand Management
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