Leaving treatment and entering back into our previous environment can be difficult. We are reintroduced to certain stressors and problems that may have previously exacerbated our addiction. Our home and community life may have been a factor in our drug and alcohol use, and it is necessary to overcome these environmental stressors if we are to maintain our sobriety after treatment. The people we socialize with is very important in regards to our sobriety. The University of Utah Genetic Science Learning Center explains, “The single biggest contributing factor to drug abuse risk is having friends who engage in the problem behavior. If an individual’s friends have favorable attitudes towards drug use, this can also increase risk.” When we re-enter our previous environment and social group, we may face the tough decision of who we choose to continue to interact with and who we stay away from. When we consider this problem, it is important to keep in mind whether our friends want the best for us or whether they would like us to continue using drugs and alcohol. Our peer group was often a major reason why we began using drugs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains, “Friends and other peers can have an increasingly strong influence during the teen years. Teens who use drugs can sway even those without risk factors to try drugs for the first time.” As we reevaluate our peer group, we should consider who was enabling us or contributing to our drug and and whether or not we should maintain these friendships. Our environments influence our thoughts and actions. We become conditioned to the influence of our environment and act accordingly. Dr. Joe Dispenza, in You Are the Placebo, explains, “It’s our environment that is controlling how we think, act, and feel. We’re victims of our personal realities, because our personal realities are creating our personalities– and it’s become an unconscious process.” However, although we may be unable to change our environment, we can change our reactions to our environment by engaging in a recovery program that focuses on personal and spiritual development, allowing us to maintain serenity and sobriety in any situation.
Your life can become one of serenity and peace of mind in sobriety. You can make the courageous decision to embark upon the rewarding journey of recovery by reaching out for help now. Oceanfront Recovery, a licensed Substance Abuse Disorder and Dual-Diagnosis Treatment Center in the heart of beautiful Laguna Beach, offers individualized care in one of the premier beachfront recovery communities in the world. For information about individualized treatment options, please call today: (877) 279-1777
