Building and Maintaining Healthy Relationships in Recovery

I could not appreciate that while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it was tough to have faith in much of anything. One of the great things about addiction recovery is that our self-esteem can take a major boost. Sometimes though, the old feelings and thinking can re-occur.

I sincerely hope that there is no return to drug or alcohol use. However, the past cannot just be ignored; the pain was genuine to them every day while the user just ‘checked out,’ leaving the family members holding https://ecosoberhouse.com/ the bag for a whole host of problems. They truly want to believe that it is all over but have genuine concerns about it. Nobody’s perfect, regardless of what you’ve heard or what popular media wants you to believe.

Start the road to recovery

An addiction to alcohol or drugs like heroin, crystal meth, or prescription painkillers leads to a dysfunctional relationship with yourself. In active addiction, you are unkind to yourself, you abuse your body, and you do things you are not proud of. Finding reasonable expectations is tricky but can be accomplished with mutual respect and healthy communication. One example is if you are in early recovery, it would be unreasonable to expect your partner to quit drinking entirely just because you are sober.

• This can take the form of asking someone not to put you in situations that can lead to relapse, such as inviting you out for drinks.
• Healthy relationships bring out the best in people, remind people to be responsible for their own happiness, and emphasize self-care.
• In active addiction, you are unkind to yourself, you abuse your body, and you do things you are not proud of.
• Substance abuse and addiction can lead to misunderstandings, poor communication, personality changes, social detachment, emotional numbing, and dishonesty.
• If you are new to recovery or attempting to overcome an addiction, you may have little or no idea of what a healthy relationship consists of.
• At this time, developing relationships that provide mutual support and connection is essential.

Enablers, people who lie or make excuses for addiction, can encourage or tempt those in recovery to abuse substances. Codependent relationships can also be unhealthy for people struggling with substance abuse. Healthy relationships involving honesty, for example, can encourage partners to support or inspire individuals to communicate about substance abuse. Partners can include boundaries to discourage post-recovery relapses if this applies to their partner.

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Relationships are a necessary component of living one’s best life. They are needed to create deep bonds, for companionship, and to provide the needed emotional support needed to thrive post-rehab. Relationships are effective in helping people in recovery stay healthy and increase their wellbeing. Healthy relationships in recovery relationships bring out the best in both parties, and are a safe space for their fears. Professional addiction treatment can help reduce use and maintain abstinence, but it can also improve relationships. Maintaining social connectedness in addiction recovery is immensely valuable to the recovery path.

Relationships also benefit from healthy communication skills, validation, boundaries, and honesty—all of which are important for addiction recovery. In addition, ongoing treatment can be helpful for developing coping and communication skills. Following an aftercare or relapse prevention plan will communicate to your loved one that you’re committed to maintaining a sober life. Continuing individual or group therapy can also allow you to stay focused on your recovery while rebuilding relationships. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Form a Healthy Relationship With Yourself

It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. Building healthy relationships in recovery is an important first step, but the journey doesn’t end there. It is not uncommon for women to leave rehab with a smaller support system than they had before they started abusing their substance of choice. Relationships after rehab often need to be rebuilt, and new relationships formed. To help you with this process of building healthy relationships in recovery and after rehab, we have compiled 5 tips to utilize during your recovery from addiction.