Human beings are highly social creatures who rely on companionship and cooperation to survive. This is truer than ever when people are going through a tough time, such as during rehab and addiction treatment. But many people wonder how hard it is to make new friends in rehab, and whether or not it’s actually a good idea to maintain relationships with people that you meet there. The good news is that making friends while in rehab is no harder than anywhere else, and as long as you keep your priorities in order, those friendships could help you through one of the hardest times of your life.
Friends Provide a Needed Support System
One of the most difficult things about drug or alcohol rehab and getting clean is the loneliness: it’s easy to feel emotionally alone in your struggle, and you’re also physically separated from all your friends and family. At Beachside Rehab, the approach to drug and alcohol treatment is a holistic one, and this means there will be plenty of fun and social activities where you can make new friends, including:
- Yoga classes
- Barbecues
- Beach and ocean adventures
- Music sessions
- Horseback riding
How to Make Friends in Rehab
Making friends isn’t something that comes naturally to everybody, but there are certain things you can do to help the process along, including:
Be open and friendly: Talk to people, say hello, and initiate conversations.
Ask questions: People may not always want to share their life stories with you, but they will open up somewhat if you ask them the right questions about themselves.
Don’t make it all about you: While you must stay focused on yourself and your own sobriety, other people in rehab don’t always want to hear about you. This is where asking questions about them comes in.
Stay Focused on Yourself
While you will likely make friends during inpatient rehab treatment, it’s important that you keep in mind the reason you’re there—to get clean. You’ll be encouraged to foster new relationships with people going through something similar to you, but you’ll also need to focus on your own health and sobriety.
This means going to all your personal and group therapy sessions, setting and working toward goals, eating well and exercising, and meeting all your responsibilities.
New Friends Promote Life-Long Sobriety
Once you leave rehab, you may return to your regular life and find that you can’t keep in touch with any of your old friends because they’re the people you abused drugs or alcohol with. And if those friends are still using, it’s vital that you stay away to avoid a relapse. But that brings up the problem of loneliness again because isolation and boredom are both common triggers for a relapse. And that’s where your new friends come in. Not only are they sober, but they’ve also been through the same program you have, and you can all work together to keep each other on track and focused on your goals.
Alcohol and drug rehab isn’t a time for solitude and loneliness, and you will make new friends during your time there. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet people while working toward sobriety, and the relationships you form with people in rehab may well end up becoming lifelong friendships. In fact, the people you meet could provide you the support system you need to get through this time in your life, and you can help each other stay clean and maintain life-long sobriety. Call us today at 866-349-1770 to learn more about the culture at Beachside Rehab.