Six Ways Your Social Group Can Affect Your Recovery from Addiction

How Our Social Circles Affect Us

Our social circles have a powerful impact on shaping our sense of identity, the life choices we make, and our attitudes and behaviour. That is how a tribe survives and we are naturally tribal creatures. There have been many studies confirming that social interaction is critical for good mental health. Here are some benefits:

1. Emotional Well-being: supportive and positive social circles can provide encouragement during challenging times. Positive affirmations and support can boost our confidence and sense of purpose, while negative judgments or constant criticism can lead to feelings of inadequacy as well as stress, anxiety, or isolation.
2. Decision-making: we often seek advice and opinions from those we trust, and their perspectives can shape our choices in various areas of life, such as work, relationships, and lifestyle.
3. Values and Beliefs: unless we feel particularly strongly about an issue, we tend to align our beliefs with those of the people we associate with closely over periods of time. This can apply to religious, political, ethical, and cultural beliefs.
4. Health and Lifestyle Choices: diet, exercise, and substance use are examples where our friends and colleagues can influence our own health-related decisions. Social circles that prioritise health and well-being encourage us to adopt better practices.
5. Coping Mechanisms: we observe and learn from our social circles how to deal with stress and adversity. Supportive friends can teach healthy coping strategies, while negative influences may lead to unhealthy or destructive coping behaviours.

Download our Brochure

Learn more about who we are and why we are the leading private addiction rehab clinic in Ireland.

Download Brochure

The Importance of Positive Social Interaction in Recovery

Social interaction plays a fundamental role in the process of addiction recovery. Building and maintaining a supportive network of friends, family, and peers can provide emotional, psychological, and practical assistance, especially during the most challenging times of early sobriety. By providing a safe environment, shared experience and a degree of accountability without stigma, social groups are uniquely important in building a new positive lifestyle. Good social connections offer a sense of belonging, reduce feelings of loneliness, and encourage a proactive mindset. Success at anything is more likely when people are enthusiastic about their project and a strong social network promotes the idea that ‘together we can make this work’.

Social Factors Contributing to Relapse and Substance Abuse

Some undesirable social situations can strongly influence a return to substance abuse. Negative factors include inappropriate peer pressure, a need for acceptance or validation within a particular social circle, and exposure to environments where drug or alcohol use is prevalent. Dysfunctional family dynamics, trauma, and negative expectations often significantly influence addictive behaviours.

Six Ways Your Social Group Can Affect Your Recovery – Positively and Negatively

1. Positive Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and other self-help fellowships – any supportive group will be beneficial as a safe and non-judgmental environment. Shared experience and the example of others are hugely influential influences that have helped millions to recover. The twelve-step approach is only one of many and any form of sober friendship or therapy group is likely to be helpful.
2. Positive Relationship with Family and Loved Ones: having the support and understanding of family members and loved ones makes a significant difference in recovery. When family members are involved and educated about addiction, they can create a positive and nurturing environment in which they themselves benefit too, as well as the addicted person. After all, addiction is a family disease where each member has been affected and therefore needs to adjust and make their own recovery.
3. Positive New Interests and Community Activities: recovery should never be a passive state or a time when you relax and feel it’s complete, because addiction is in remission, not beaten thoroughly. Never ask how long recovery takes – it is for life. It, therefore, makes sense to seek new interests, new activities and new friends as ways of continuing and strengthening the healthy lifestyle you seek. Remember that the aim is progress, not perfection.
4. Negative Relationships: a background of toxic relationships can be highly dangerous, especially in early recovery. Addiction is often linked to abuse, both physical and emotional. Still, there are other equally dangerous kinds of interaction, such as with those prone to enabling your addiction (perhaps to ease their own emotional pain), people skilled at manipulating you for their own purposes or people still actively using or dealing. Sometimes these influences can seem overwhelming, and you will probably need outside help of some kind in order to break free.
5. Negative High-Stress Work Interaction: the workplace can be a source of anxiety and sometimes extreme stress where other people’s behaviour can sometimes be hostile, such as through bullying or isolating individuals. Although some employers try to help people with mental health issues including addiction, it is unusual for work environments to be completely free of such influences. Working and interacting with others successfully at all levels is one of the greatest challenges in early recovery and requires practice and probably guidance.
6. Negative Peer Groups: being part of social circles where substance use is the norm and peer pressure is intense can lead to relapse, especially during vulnerable moments. Peer groups can be well-meaning but some quite ordinary behaviours, such as meeting at the pub, can nevertheless be dangerous to the newly sober. Detaching oneself from such groupings, at least for the early most vulnerable months, may be hard but necessary. Digital environments, such as social media and online communities, can be incredibly detrimental to recovery. In extreme cases, they may expose individuals to harassment or other triggering content that can be distressing and lead to isolation. Limiting screen time and seeking more meaningful in-person interactions is almost always beneficial.

How to Replace a Negative Social Circle with One Supportive for Addiction Recovery

Building a supportive social circle takes time and effort and can be emotionally painful – it is best undertaken with guidance such as from a sponsor or counsellor, but it is a crucial aspect of addiction recovery. Surrounding yourself with people who genuinely care about your well-being and sobriety, while eliminating the dangerous ones, will significantly enhance your chances of achieving long-term recovery success. Here are the suggested steps to take:

1. Recognise the Negative Influences: identify those in your current social circle who enable or encourage your addictive behaviour and those who trigger the wrong responses in you through, for example, feelings of fear. This may include people who use substances or engage in destructive habits themselves.
2. Set Boundaries: establish boundaries against negative influences. Limit or avoid contact with individuals who may trigger cravings or hinder your recovery progress. Setting boundaries is not simple and many addicts have become ‘people pleasers’ over time.  Learning to say ‘no’ can be extremely hard for some and may take a lot of practice. Role play and guidance can be helpful.
3. Seek Professional Help If You Feel You Need It: enlist the support of addiction counsellors, therapists, or support groups. Professionals can guide you through the process of building a healthier social circle and provide opportunities to practice and learn valuable coping strategies.
4. Join Supportive Fellowships: engage in sober or recovery-focused groups where you can connect with individuals who share similar struggles and goals. These communities can offer understanding, encouragement, and accountability.
5. Reconnect with Sober Friends: if you have friends who are in recovery or who do not engage in addictive behaviours, reach out to them. You may have ignored them latterly, but now rekindle such positive connections and seek to spend more time with those who uplift and support your recovery journey.
6. Explore New Hobbies and Interests: pursue activities that align with your new sober lifestyle. Join clubs, classes, or organisations that promote healthy habits and provide opportunities to meet like-minded individuals. Keep an open mind towards trying new things.
7. Avoid High-Risk Environments: Stay away from places or events that might tempt you to relapse. Opt for environments that promote sobriety and positive well-being. If you can’t stay away from, for example, a wedding, then make plans to keep yourself safe by having someone you can call or an exit strategy for if you feel really challenged
8. Communicate with Family: communicate with your family openly about your recovery journey and the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people. Even if this has been a taboo subject in the past, now is the time to talk. Seek their understanding and encouragement.
9. Build a Support Network: cultivate new friendships with people who are committed to sobriety and personal growth. These can be a vital source of motivation and strength. It may take a little time to establish such a network but most like-minded people will meet you halfway.
10. Practice Self-Care: Prioritise self-care to boost your resilience and maintain a positive mindset. Healthy habits, such as regular exercise, proper nutrition, and sufficient rest all contribute to a sense of well-being. They say that an activity needs to be repeated regularly for at least a month before it becomes a habit so don’t give up too soon.

Addiction Treatment and Building a Social Network

Our social circles have a profound impact on our lives, especially in the context of addiction recovery. Recognising the significance of these and seeking appropriate addiction treatment options are essential steps towards achieving sobriety in whichever of the three main routes to addiction recovery that we may choose:

• Rehab: inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation provides structured treatment programmes, therapy, and support. At Smarmore Castle we are well aware of the need for a strong social network and work towards this through introduction to self-help fellowships, family therapy sessions and ongoing alumni contacts.
• Counselling: individual and group counselling can address underlying issues, provide a place to practice coping strategies, and foster personal growth generally.
• Support Groups: Joining support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, offers peer support and accountability while fostering the idea of strength through interaction.

Our social circles have a profound impact on our lives, especially in the context of addiction recovery. Recognising the significance of these and seeking appropriate addiction treatment options are essential steps towards achieving and maintaining sobriety.

At Smarmore Castle our treatment plan is centred on the idea of a therapeutic community where everyone – patients, staff and management work together towards the shared goal of lasting sobriety through social interaction. If you would like to know more about our treatment programme or any other aspect of addiction recovery. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at +353 41 214 5111.

 FAQs