Sobriety brings with it many challenges you may not think about. When you were addicted to drugs or alcohol or had a loved one who struggled, perhaps you didn’t consider whether people were trustworthy or not. The biggest thing in sobriety you have to learn is learning to trust yourself so that you can trust others, and find people worthy of spending time around. Shattered trust is hard to rebuild, so learn some tips to find people you can trust and learn to be vulnerable again.
Learn to Trust Again
Healthy boundaries are not the only thing you need to build trust with people in recovery. When finding a new pathway to healing, relationships are one of the first things to repair. You will share your feelings and open up to others, but you have to learn how much to share. Not everyone deserves to know all the details. Being open is healthy, but don’t over-share. Not everyone wants to see you succeed and may not be trustworthy up front. Learn to build trust with people if you want to learn how to trust again.
Seeking Relationship
Honing skills in recovery for sniffing out people who want to take advantage of you or are not worth trusting takes time. The first person to trust in recovery would be your sponsor (if you have one). This person, or a mentor, can help you through so many things in recovery. They will have demonstrated through their character that they deserve a place in your healing journey. Other people, you can trust and should have in your life in recovery, include:
- Trusted therapists, including psychiatrists who can help with medication needs
- Friends (two or three) whom you trust to share difficulties with and will be there with you through thick and thin
- Family members who have supported you and continue to believe in your sobriety
Trusting Yourself
The hardest person to rebuild trust with may be yourself. While other relationships can be rebuilt, it is harder, still, to trust your own instincts and feelings about recovery. Healthy relationships help build confidence and self-esteem, but you have to learn how to rebuild what is broken. You may invest in learning to navigate around the challenges but you have to learn how to accept who you are, where you are, and where you are going. A worthwhile journey in recovery is one focused on acceptance of what is, rather than what should be. Take it one step at a time and you’ll find the journey is not only meaningful but is filled with more hope and love than you ever thought possible.
Rebuilding your life in recovery takes time. We help you get started by deciding to get clean and sober with our detox and recovery program. Our goal at Oceanfront is to help you confront the challenges head-on while feeling supported. We are located in beautiful Laguna Beach. Call us to find out how we can help you navigate addiction recovery: 888-981-4295
