What You Should Look for In Recovery Friends

Forming the right friendships is an important step in your recovery. Your new sober life should be fulfilling, and sober friends can help make that so by providing support, connection, and fun. 

Having sober friends is also an integral part of your emotional health and reintegration into society. Making friends will teach you to relate to others without the crutch of alcohol or drugs. 

On the flip side, hanging out with the wrong peers can threaten your hard-won sobriety. Especially during early recovery, you might need a little help deciphering healthy from unhealthy relationships. 

Positive Friend Qualities
Any new friend should be supportive of your sobriety and share similar goals and values. This will help ensure that you stick to healthy habits and stay motivated to reach your recovery goals and follow your sober dreams. Other positive qualities to look for in a new sober friend include:

• Honesty and trustworthiness
• Kindness
• Compassion
• Self-awareness
• Dependability
• Non-judgmental
• Good listening skills
• Strong understanding of personal boundaries
• Healthy sense of humor
• Supportive and encouraging
• Able to express emotions and feelings in an honest and direct way

Friendship Red flags

In addition to looking for positive qualities and personality traits, it’s also helpful to ask yourself the following questions while getting to know a new friend: 

• Is this person reliable or dependable?
• Do I feel better or worse when I’m with this person?
• Does this person make me feel insecure?
• Do I feel controlled or manipulated in any way?
• Is this person jealous or possessive?
• Do I have any concerns about this relationship?

Relapse Prevention at Complete Harmony
From identifying high-risk relationships to learning mindfulness techniques that center you, our relapse prevention and aftercare planning will empower you and slowly eliminate the dangerous urge to self-medicate. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.

Making Friends for Good Health

A new study shows that friendships become increasingly more important as we age—even more important than our familial relationships. 

“Keeping a few really good friends around can make a world of difference for our health and well-being. So it’s smart to invest in the friendships that make you happiest," said the study's author.

The right friendships are also crucial to your recovery. As you begin to build new healthy patterns in your life, it’s more important than ever to be intentional about your friendships and relationships. The goal, after all, is to try to surround yourself with people who are supportive and understanding of your recovery needs. These tips can help you get started. 

• Resist insecurity: It’s normal to worry about saying something stupid when meeting new people, but do your best to put your fears aside and focus on what you can do if, in fact, you do get tongue-tied.
• Practice: The more you socialize, the easier it will become. Plus, it will help remind you that you’re not the only person out there trying to make new friends. 
• Volunteer: Working alongside others in a group endeavor will allow you to make new acquaintances, which may very well turn into friendships.
• Take up a sport or hobby. Join a local running group or take a cooking or yoga class  -- the possibilities are endless. 
• Play host: Organize a few sober get-togethers and gatherings to get to know people better. 
• Be patient: Like anything worthwhile, making friends takes time. 

Continual Growth at Complete Harmony
Our team of credentialed clinicians helps you explore your own recovery journey while learning to heal relationships and build a sober social network. For more information about our cutting edge treatments, call today: 866-930-4673.