Creating New Friendships in Recovery

Creating new friendships in recovery is a vital part of living a sober lifestyle. One of the first and most difficult decisions when you first get sober is giving up old people, places and things. It’s not safe to be around people who are using drugs or talking about their lifestyle. You may worry that you’ll be lonely or have nothing to do when you’re sober. Your brain may tell you that you’re alone in your battle against addiction, but nothing can be further from the truth. Building new relationships and trust can take time.

How Can You Meet New People?

12-step meetings are a great place to find others for friendship and support. But you don’t have to limit your friendships to people at your meetings.

You can choose to branch out and explore new hobbies and friendships. Here are a few suggestions to get started:

Explore old hobbies. Before you began abusing substances, what kinds of activities gave you joy? Was there something you loved to do as a child that you can now pick up as an adult? Join a Meetup group online or take a local class. You’ll learn to have fun and meet others who share that interest.
Join a group. There are groups of people in recovery that like to share their hobbies. Sometimes they host events. Ask around about movie nights, jogging groups, or surfers that like to meet up together.
Travel to meetings. Sometimes it’s fun to get out of your normal routine and explore 12-step meetings. If you live in a city, try to get out to the suburbs now and then.
Go to events. Many areas host events for the holidays. Dances, potlucks, and parties are a regular part of many recovery communities.

Networking With Others

First of all, it’s important that you choose your network of friends wisely. It’s ok to have friends that are new to recovery like you, but you need old-timers to help you become stable. It’s also highly recommended that you don’t date in your first year of sobriety so that you can focus on yourself.

Listen to the meetings you go to. When you meet a person that you find inspiring, ask them if you can get their phone number. Of course, you can ask about their Facebook in most cases if they’re comfortable with that.

If you’re struggling to meet new people in recovery, speak up at a meeting and introduce yourself. Let people know that you’re new and you want to meet new people. Everyone needs as many friends as they can get.

If you really want new friends, you must be a friend, too. Text your new contacts and ask them how they're doing. If you're bored, invite them to hang out with you. Friendship is a two-way street.

Getting Help for Addiction

Are you or a loved one struggling with addiction? You’re right where you need to be. Getting clean and sober is a journey that most people need help with. We offer a comprehensive rehabilitation program to help get your mind, body, and spirit healthy again. For more information on how we can help you, please give us a call at 619-363-4767.