When it comes to choosing the right people to surround yourself with during recovery, your options could either be a) limited or b) hard to decide on. But here’s the thing: when you surround yourself with the right people, staying sober becomes so much easier to accomplish. Being surrounded by the right people is detrimental to your commitment to stay sober for the long haul. Even science shows that people who truly want a clean start should stay away from negative influences and cultivate new friendships with like-minded people.
So how do you actually do it?
Virtual Friends
For starters, try to have an honest review of all the people on your social media accounts. Whether it’s an old friend you used to party with or friends who might not look positively on your new lifestyle, don’t hesitate to unfollow, block, or create a new account altogether.
If staying active on social media is not very helpful, why not try to join Facebook groups that support recovering people or follow Instagram accounts of inspiring people? This way, you can also be inspired to continue on your road to recovery even if you’re still online. However, at the end of the day, it’s still up to you. If at this point in time you still feel vulnerable to other people’s emotions, posts, or status updates, then it’s not going to be harmful to stay away from social media altogether. As a matter of fact, it can even prove to be helpful.
Real Life Friends
When it comes to real friends in the real world, you have to be careful. Don’t be in a haste to burn bridges unless you are sure that this friend or that friend can do nothing but harm your goal of staying sober. Sometimes, you have to distance yourself from these kinds of folk but trust us when we say that this is definitely worth it in the long haul. If you’re still in college or you’re currently a young adult and find that it’s impossible to stay away from parties or events wherein alcohol or drugs are involved, then don’t be afraid to order a mocktail or get yourself out of that place after a few hours.
This is also where a sober living home comes into play. If you’re straight out of rehab and you have absolutely no idea how to transition into the real world, a sober living home will help you sort that out. In the LA area, Casa Nuevo Vida is your best bet when it comes to high quality treatment. We cater to all your dietary or personal needs during your stay so you can focus on learning techniques that will be useful in the real world.