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Help them find the social outlet and/or professional help they need. Despite how hopeless loneliness can make you feel, there are many positive ways you can combat loneliness in sobriety. Understanding how loneliness can harm your sobriety and having a plan to combat those feelings can help you achieve long-lasting sobriety.
Our staff members understand what it’s like to struggle in recovery because we’ve been there too. In addition to the title of Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Kevin is also licensed by the state of Maryland as a Clinical Drug and Alcohol Counselor. He holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling and has over 26 years of experience as a substance use/mental health counselor with the Montgomery County Government. Whether he’s leading groups or providing individual and family therapy, Kevin’s passion for serving those suffering from substance use disorders is always on display. When he’s not busy treating The Freedom Center’s clientele, you might find Kevin engaged in his other passion as an actor/director in the local theater community. If, at any moment, you start having suicidal thoughts or suicidal ideation, speak with a professional immediately.
What Are Some Lesser-Known Signs of Addiction?
Establishing new friendships that are supportive to your recovery, as well as discovering new hobbies and activities that don’t revolve around substance use, is a process that takes time. Being patient and optimistic during this transitional phase is key to minimizing feelings of loneliness. It’s not uncommon for people to feel lonely when starting out in addiction recovery. If you’ve just come home from inpatient addiction treatment, where you were around people most of the time, you might suddenly find a normal amount of alone time rather stark. None of the people you are used to chatting with in the dining hall or rec room are around anymore. In 12 Step groups these triggers are referred to by the acronym HALT; this stands for hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness.
- Factors such as feelings of worthlessness, guilt, mental distress, and poor coping mechanisms can all play a role in this.
- Caring for a home, a garden, animals, or other people can add purpose and small joys to your life.
- Advice from people who have never gone through addiction recovery can sometimes be confusing and unhelpful.
- To help yourself process these emotions, work with a counselor.
- Many experienced it during lockdowns in the COVID-19 pandemic, but it happened way before.
With a robust foundation in 12-step philosophy, Federico can not only educate the clients on the model, but also integrate the tried-and-true principles in a more personal, clinical setting. In addition to trying to connect with other people, don’t ignore the impact of focusing on physical and mental health care. There are many ways you can invest time to feel more confident about yourself and combat loneliness. Exercise, keeping a healthy diet, focusing on your sleep, meditation, and more are some easy ways to practice self-care.
How Loneliness And Addiction Are Linked
Start your treatment program today by calling us or reaching out to us online. It can be challenging to open up to people about your struggles during recovery. This can make people feel isolated and scared when in reality plenty How to Cope with Loneliness During Addiction Recovery of others are going through the same difficulties. Group therapy sessions during recovery can help to alleviate this issue. These supportive settings allow people to talk about their problems and realize they are not alone.
Whether you’re struggling to overcome loneliness in addiction recovery or anything else, our center is here for you. When you enter into addiction treatment, it’s important to find a supportive community to help you in your addiction recovery process. Social support circles are extremely powerful in helping you stay sober and welcomed. After starting your addiction recovery process, you may experience an array of emotions, one of which is boredom. Because boredom has the potential to increase your likelihood of relapse, it’s essential to find ways to overcome or avoid the feeling. Second, when you’re starting recovery, it’s a good idea to distance yourself from friends and acquaintances who use drugs and alcohol.
How to Adopt a Growth Mindset for Addiction Recovery
People are often surprised how much harder it is to make friends as an adult. When you’re younger, you’re around other people your age every day in school and other activities. When you’re an adult, you’re around other people at work–sometimes. However, people at work have their own lives and concerns and you may or may not have any points of connection.
They answer questions and help you connect the dots between the advice you hear in AA/NA meetings and how to apply that advice in your daily life. If you’re curious about a finding a sponsor, ask anyone at an AA or NA meeting, click the link above, or talk to your therapist or counselor. Once you have a sponsor, they should be the first number on speed dial in your phone – and you should use that number often. If you’re in recovery – and lonely – this list will help. But that leaves them lonely, without their primary coping mechanism – alcohol or drugs – and without the social network that used to make them feel connected.
Four Thinking Mistakes that Can Stand in the Way of Addiction Recovery
Loneliness and addiction can be difficult to overcome, but it is possible. When you enroll in sober living, you live in a shared house or apartment with other individuals in recovery. You’ll be in a safe, sober, and supportive place where other people understand what you’re going through because they are also going through the same things themselves. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ Living at a sober living home makes it easier to build community and stay connected with other like-minded people in recovery. For example, perhaps you are separated from family members while you’re away attending treatment. Or, you’re living alone after rehab, and you don’t have a community of friends, family, or sober individuals to support you.