Some people seem to attract drama or dramatic people in their lives. It is not because people always attract those types into their life, but maybe they are attracted to helping others who bring drama into their life accidentally, however it happens, it can really be dragging you down in recovery. Now is the time to nip it in the bud. Try these tips out for size to see if it might help your journey of healing from the drama.
Know Your Role
You cannot change what you do not acknowledge. Now is the time to acknowledge what you have to do to create peace in your life (and relationships). Once you recognize where drama is happening, you can put a stop to it. It may come from other people’s reactions to what you say or do. It may come from what you did in the past and they are not able to let that go. Some tips:
- Be honest with yourself and assess what you bring to the relationship
- If you create drama, step back and assess what you need to do to seek help
- Figure out why you do it and make mental notes
- Seek solutions to these issues. If it is attention, look for other avenues to attain it. Don’t be afraid to seek additional help for this issue in therapy or recovery groups
Let Go
Sometimes the hardest thing is to assess the level of relationships you have in your life, only to realize they are not healthy for you. When you have people who hang around, bringing their drama into your life, you cannot fix it for them. You cannot even try to make it better when you have your own recovery to worry about. Maybe you are bringing some of your drama into it, also, because you are triggered. The key to stopping that is to spend time by yourself and figure out what you want out of your relationships. If they are toxic, let them go. Some tips:
- Look at all your friendships with an honest, open perspective
- Realize those that bring more stress and unhappiness into your life are ones that maybe should not be part of your life as much (minimize at first, before you disconnect)
- Friendships that don’t encourage sobriety and recovery should be reassessed if they bring down recovery or don’t support you
Learning Curve
When you are able to learn from your past mistakes and friendships, you can resolve present day issues sooner. Try to see the learning experience in the drama and know that it will help you grow in recovery. Some tips:
- You are not powerless. You can own your relationships and only cultivate those that bring you joy (most of the time)
- Realize your part in it but don’t judge yourself, just notice and let go of negative behaviors
- Don’t fan the flames of yours or other people’s drama. You can let it go before it gets out of hand and learn from it so you don’t make the same mistakes again
The key to any situation you encounter that is challenging in recovery is to seek help when you are stuck. If you have friends you can’t shake or don’t know how to handle their drama, speak up. Say something to them, to other close friends, or therapists who can help you navigate how to handle these toxic relationships in your recovery journey. It will only help make you stronger for the road ahead.
We can help you determine how to handle the big challenges in life in recovery with the right tools and support. It takes time to navigate them but you can learn with the right help. Oceanfront will help you kick addiction to the curb with our premier beachfront community in Laguna Beach. We are founded on the principle of providing the best in care and services at affordable prices. We are located in beautiful Laguna Beach. Call us to find out how we can help you navigate addiction recovery: 877-279-1777
