What to Do When Youre Feeling Lonely in Recovery

You are also saying goodbye to the toxic “friendships” you formed during your addictive days. Acknowledging the loss and allowing yourself to grieve will help you move forward. Whether it’s joining a support group, adopting a pet, or simply taking that daily walk, start today. Reach out, connect, and take charge of your recovery, one day at a time.

• Reconnecting with old friends can help improve your mental health, but don’t be afraid to end relationships that are harmful to your sobriety.
• As mentioned, people with SUD often damage close relationships when they’re trying to hide their struggle.
• With this last tip, we want to remind you that – although this lonely moment or phase may be miserable – you’re in recovery.
• If you’re new in recovery, and experiencing intense loneliness, your sponsor can help.
• For example, if you’re traveling on vacation and you’re experiencing jet lag, you might find yourself missing meals or feeling more irritable.
• Social support circles also provide you with resources for advice.

Why Is Social Connection Important for Addiction Recovery?

Addressing loneliness without involving alcohol is the best way to break this cycle. People are often surprised how much harder it loneliness in recovery 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.

• It can be difficult to meet friends and family without being around alcohol, and that can lead to loneliness after quitting.
• Instead of dwelling on feelings of loneliness in addiction recovery, take advantage of your solitude.
• Feeling lonely in recovery while maintaining sobriety is tough, but the right strategies can help overcome negative thoughts and complex emotions.
• Do you have a hobby you’ve always wanted to take up or a home improvement project that’s been lingering on your to-do list?
• When people come to this point, they may be at risk of becoming even more unwell due to their substance abuse.

How a Growth Mindset Can Help You Beat Addiction

Loneliness can increase stress and cause you to feel depressed or anxious. It can even lead you to crave drugs or alcohol to cope, thus becoming a trigger for relapse. Loneliness often coexists with mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and stress.

Find Support for Opioid Addiction

Dr. Streem also notes that taking a good general multivitamin daily — ones that taste good, make you smile and don’t feel like you’re taking medicine — can be beneficial. Vitamins with cartoon characters like Flintstones®, Scooby-Doo® and more. By focusing on these four areas, you’re paying closer attention to your basic needs. This is important because when our basic needs aren’t met, it can become difficult to determine what’s wrong.

Addiction Lead to Recovery, and Recovery Lead to Being a Good Dad

For some people, drinking alcohol is a big part of many social situations. It can be difficult to meet friends and family without being around alcohol, and that can lead to loneliness after quitting. Drinking can make feelings of loneliness worse for many people. The Massachusetts Center for Addiction offers comprehensive treatment programs that blend evidence-based therapies with personalized care. This approach supports recovery and empowers individuals on their journey toward healing and sobriety.

At Waypoint Recovery Center, we provide a full continuum of care for men and women with substance use disorders. Reach out to the experienced treatment professionals at our South Carolina drug and alcohol addiction treatment center to learn more. It eventually led to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues – even in a room full of people I could feel totally alone. Looking back now, I think I felt lonely due to the lack of meaningful connections or feelings of belonging.

Additionally, isolating may cause you to lose interest in activities you once enjoyed. You might also become more prone to negative thoughts or show signs of depression or anxiety. To help you through your toughest moments while in isolation, this post offers five tips that could make all the difference in your journey toward healing. Beginning recovery from opioid addiction with effective treatment is the best way to improve your chances of long-term success. At any moment, someone’s aggravating behavior or our own bad luck can set us off on an emotional spiral that threatens to derail our entire day. Here’s how we can face our triggers with less reactivity so that we can get on with our lives.

Once you have a sponsor, they should be the first number on speed dial in your phone – and you should use that number often. What we suggest here is to pay attention to what’s happening in your community or neighborhood and join in whenever you see an announcement for a public event. The best place to find these types of social opportunities is online. Neighborhoods often have groups on social media sites like Facebook or sites like Nextdoor. When you see any kind of announcement for any kind of social event, go participate.