The Importance of a Support System During Recovery

While some may think of addiction as something you have to deal with on your own, those who have a support system behind them actually have a much better chance of getting clean and maintaining a long-term recovery. Addiction recovery support can be a great asset to anyone who needs help with substance abuse or developing an addictive behavior.

Attempting to recover from drug or alcohol addiction will involve coming to grips with why you are using and abusing drugs and alcohol, and working toward becoming the person you want to be. It takes an effort to become attuned to your own thoughts and tendencies. But what might surprise you is that while much of a person’s addiction journey will be handled personally and internally, having strong social support can help you accomplish a smart recovery.

In this post, we’ll go over a few of the reasons having a strong support system can help you beat your addiction.

1. They Will Listen to You

Having an addiction is hard enough, but completely internalizing it just makes things worse. For anyone going through recovery, having someone that is willing to listen to you can be a big help. Recovery is all about offloading this addiction, but there may be some other things you need to vent about as well, including what got you to the situation you are in. Having someone to talk to about issues – whether it is a recovery support specialist, family member, or friend – can be cathartic and useful to anyone with the goal of sobriety.

Struggles along the way to recovery will be inevitable. At these times, having someone to talk to about them can be more valuable than at any other time. These people can be sponsors, a support group, or friends and family. Support groups or sponsors may be the best in this regard, as they have often already gone through, or are may even be currently experiencing along with you, exactly what you’re going through.

You’ll be able to bounce similar struggles off of each other and discuss how to work through them. You can talk strategies and what’s worked or what hasn’t worked. You’ll talk about your fears, potential setbacks and more. Any opportunity to voice your struggles can help get you out of your head and away from the potential for falling into isolation, which can lead to depression.

2. They’ll Keep You in Check

This part of your addiction recovery support pertains more to your family and friends. These are the people who know you better than anyone. So if they notice you becoming overly confident or falling back into the same behavior patterns that got you into this position in the first place, they’ll call you out on it and provide you with valuable insight to be aware of these patterns yourself.

Once you’re more aware of the problems, you can better address your issues.

3. They’ll Help You Make Healthy Decisions

Part of your recovery process will involve cutting ties with the toxic people and things that contributed to your addiction. This can be an extremely difficult part of the recovery process, but your support system will help you do that. These people can be your family and friends or those you encounter in support groups.

A sober support group will actually put the pressure on you to make better choices. Going to meetings and communicating with your supportive family and friends and sponsors will give you a real sense of responsibility throughout the process. It’s positive pressure too, not the kind of peer pressure that can lead to bad decisions. These are people who want you to get sober.

4. They’ll Give You a Lifeline

Inevitably, during your recovery process, you’re going to encounter some hard times. There will be temptation and triggers everywhere throughout the road to your sobriety. During these times more than any other, you’re going to want that addiction recovery support behind you to help avoid succumbing to your urges.

You never know what each day in your addiction recovery program may bring and what situation you may encounter, but if you have someone that can be there when you need them, you’ll have a much higher probability of being able to handle these situations.

5. They’ll Show You Who Really Cares About You

Perhaps the best thing a friend or family member can do for you is to simply just be there. Dealing with an addiction is most likely you at your worst. This is rock bottom. And at your darkest times, it is those who care about you the most that will still be in your corner.

You may notice some people falling away, and some may have their reasons. After all, addiction can break relationships, too. But those who stick with you will empower you and reassure you that you are still loved. This personal cheering section can give you the confidence to battle your addiction head on and come out with even stronger relationships than you had before.

In the end, it is up to you to get sober, but your support system can be a great tool to help you get there.

The team of recovery professionals at Georgia Drug Detox is dedicated helping you or a loved one take their life back through our proven addiction treatment programs. Our addiction specialists will help you build the support system you need to ensure a smart recovery is achieved. Contact us today to speak with an admissions specialist.

Sources:

“5 Reasons to Have a Support System in Addiction Recovery.” Recovery Connection. 4 June 2013. 15 Mar. 2019. https://www.recoveryconnection.com/5-reasons-support-system-addiction-recovery/

Nichols, Cindy. “The Importance of Good Support Systems in Sobriety.” Psych Central. 8 July 2018. 15 Mar. 2019. https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-importance-of-good-support-systems-in-sobriety/

Horvath, Tom. “Recovery From Addiction: Social Support.” Mentalhealth.net. 15 Mar. 2019. https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/recovery-from-addiction-social-support/