If there are two things that don’t belong together, it’s loneliness and recovery. For many of us, a profound sense of being alone drove us to the depths of addiction, which is where we eventually found recovery and a new way to live. Still, many who are just out of sober living or new in recovery find making friends a challenge. Not only are sober friends important to your recovery, but the fellowship that you find will be a great source of support and strength in the future.
What is a Fellowship?
If you’re new to recovery, you’ll probably hear the word “fellowship” quite frequently. As someone recovering from addiction, a fellowship refers to a group of people who are also in recovery and who share similar goals. The most common type of fellowship is the one you’ll find surrounding your area’s 12 step groups. Here is a link to a book; Global Sober that’s all about an AA traveler who went from convention to convention during 2010 through 2015 and visited fellowships all around the world. http://www.my12stepstore.com/product2598.html
The Need for Friends in Early Recovery
Once you’ve gone through rehab, moved into sober living, or have otherwise gotten some distance from your addictive behavior, it’s probably not a good idea to call up your old party friends or return to your favorite bar to hang out for a few hours. That is considered dangerous ground from someone new in recovery, which is just one of the reasons that we need some new friends.
Lining Up Your Social Support Network
Friends and a social network in recovery are important for several reasons. Despite what some of us believe, we aren’t meant to live alone or exist as loners. Particularly as someone in recovery from addiction, we need help and support.
A sober social network is a group of people who have had similar experiences and struggles. If you are having difficulty, someone will be there to help you, and you can do the same for someone else. Your friends can also be there to notice when you might be getting off track and will be your crew when it’s time to go out and have some fun.
How to Form New Relationships
While making new friends in recovery might seem scary, it’s easier than you think because we’ve all had the experience. Joining a 12-step group is a good place to start. Put your hand out to other people who are new and introduce yourself. Sign up for group activities and even take on a service job to help you meet more people.
Addiction is a serious disease, and it’s one that feeds off of loneliness. Whether you’re new in recovery or not, build up your sober network to safeguard your sobriety. Celebrate and show off your recovery with something from our selection of recovery jewelry, t-shirts and medallions.