Will My Social Life Change After Rehab?

How Will My Social Life Change After Rehab?

Your social life will most likely undergo a drastic change—for the better—after rehab.

Before entering rehab, substance abuse is often associated with unhealthy triggers involving certain people and places. Your social life before rehab may have revolved around using drugs and alcohol with friends and going to parties and bars with other people who use.

People who use drugs and alcohol generally hang out in the same circles with others who also use drugs and alcohol. For many, a substance use disorder develops as an unhealthy way to cope with toxic and abusive relationships, whether it is with a family member or a partner. Learning how to leave these toxic relationships and adapt to sober social settings is crucial for your recovery and is an integral part of changing your social life post-rehab.

While you are in rehab, you are removed from unhealthy triggers, you adhere to a daily schedule, your life is predictable, and you have a built-in recovery community to support you. In this sense, rehab is “easy” because you don’t have to worry about triggers in the outside world and how you will fill your free time.

After rehab, it becomes your responsibility to rebuild a social life centered on your recovery. This often means:

• Having tough conversations with friends and family to set healthy boundaries
• Learning how to cope with the loneliness that can emerge in early recovery
• Adopting new hobbies and healthy lifestyle habits
• Putting yourself out there to meet new people in the recovery community
• Taking time for yourself to rest
• Continuing therapy sessions as needed

A healthy social life after rehab should focus on support, activities, rest, and therapy.

• Support: You want to spend time with people who care about you, bring you joy, and support your recovery. It’s important to disconnect from any friends, family, or social circles who are triggering to your recovery.
• Activities: You want to spend time engaging in activities and hobbies that bring you fulfillment and joy.
• Rest: You want to make time for rest and take care of yourself, meaning adopting a healthy sleep routine and nourishing your body with nutritious foods.
• Reflect: You want to spend time reflecting on your recovery, either in therapy or with a support group, so that you can be aware of any unhealthy stumbling blocks, your emotions, and any triggers that could impede your healing.

How To Make New, Sober Friends

Because isolation and loneliness are triggers that can lead to relapse,  it is crucial to begin forming new relationships with like-minded individuals after rehab. It may take a little bit of work to put yourself out there at first, but with time and effort , you will most likely start to build solid foundations with like-minded, supportive people.

Some fun and easy ways to stay sober and meet new friends include:

• 12-Step meetings: Twelve-step meetings provide many opportunities to meet new friends, especially if you regularly attend the same group.
• Join Meetup: Meetup is an online community that plans activities and can help you connect with like-minded people who share common hobbies and interests. Meetup also hosts “sober-friendly” meetups for people in recovery or for people who don’t want to drink but want to find people to share fun activities with.
• Social media sober communities: There are many online communities, such as local Facebook groups, that offer sober-friendly spaces where people can plan events to meet and engage with like-minded people.
• Sober or dry bars: These bars are not only frequented by sober people, but also by people who prefer not to drink or be around people who do.
• Sober concert, sports, or art events: For example, the The Phoenix: National Sober Active Community has chapters in various parts of the country and offers countless outdoor sober activities such as fishing, skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, marathons, and hiking. Additionally, 1 Million Strong is a concert sober community that hosts sober music events across the US.
• Host your own sober party: Center the party on something special —like an event or game —so no one feels awkward or bored. You can even have a mocktail-making contest. Keep the atmosphere casual and have lots of great food available.
• Sober apps: Loosid and Clean and Sober Love are sober dating apps for those who are interested in meeting sober singles for friendship or romantic interests. Another sober app that connects people within the sober community is I Am Sober.
• Fitness groups: A regular gym or a sports club can be a great way to meet people while staying active. Hiking groups, softball leagues, running clubs, beach volleyball, bowling leagues, and even lawn bowling are also great ways to meet like-minded people while discovering a new passion and moving you your body. You can enter an online search for “running clubs in my area” or “pickleball leagues in my neighborhood” to find groups near you.
• Volunteer: Volunteering is not only a great way to meet people, but it also gets you rooted in the community by giving back. Giving to others within your community is rewarding and is good for your recovery. Whether it is volunteering at an animal shelter, the library, a local soup kitchen or for local elections and trash pickups, giving your time can help you connect with like-minded individuals while feeling good about giving back.
• Take a class: Whether it’s an art, language, or a home improvement class at a local community college, or a cooking, yoga, or painting workshop through your local community, this is a great way to find new hobbies, develop your skills, and meet new people. The more consistently you show up to class, the more frequently you will see and converse with the same people, sparking new friendships.

You only need a few solid, sober relationships at first; people you can trust and hang out with. This is a mutually supportive friendship with a commitment to lifelong sobriety.

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What Are The Positives Of A Sober Social Life?

Having a sober social life means that you have friends who are also often in recovery, so you can lean on them for support, especially when things are difficult because they understand your journey.

Since these friends don’t drink or use drugs, they will not be triggering to your sobriety. You will also most likely adopt new hobbies and pick up new skills that you never knew before you were in recovery. A sober social life is a healthy way to live life, and you can focus on clear-headed, in-depth conversations with friends without being clouded by drugs or alcohol.

Why It’s Best To Leave Some Friendships Behind

The social circles that you were in while using drugs and alcohol will no longer serve your best interests. Not only will these former peers likely be unsupportive of your sobriety, but they may even attempt to sabotage your efforts. They could trigger you to use again by being surrounded by drugs or alcohol or by dragging you back into toxic relationships. Being sober may make it easier to disengage from this group because your head is clear, allowing you to recognize dysfunctional and destructive influences.

If you do choose to be around close friends or family who drink, it is important to set strict boundaries with them, explaining that they cannot drink around you, that they must support your recovery, and that you must immediately walk away if a triggering situation arises.

Experiencing Loneliness In Early Recovery

Going from rehab into a sober world can be very isolating, especially since you may have separated yourself from your old friends and acquaintances. It is normal to feel lonely in early recovery, so it is important to give yourself grace and accept your loneliness.

Feeling lonely is okay, but it can also lead to dark thoughts and sad feelings, so it is important to work through feelings of loneliness with therapy. Talking to a therapist every week can help you work through the early stages of loneliness while staying focused on recovery.

Some ways to distract yourself in your early phases of recovery when you are feeling lonely are:

• Watch TV
• Read
• Learn to cook a new recipe
• Walk dogs at local shelters, foster or adopt a pet
• Adopt a workout routine
• Declutter and clean your living space

Start Your Sobriety Journey

The world is full of good people, many of whom you will be meeting and sharing life with after addiction treatment. You may find yourself desiring a new start, which includes removing certain people who have negatively influenced you from your life. While it can be difficult, you will treasure your newfound sobriety and the new friends who are a part of that.

If you’re ready to start your healing journey, contact a treatment provider or visit our rehab directory today to explore your many treatment options.