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Everything about your life probably changed when you decided to enter treatment, face your challenges, and embark on your journey of sobriety and mental health discovery. How you processed your behaviors and actions, what you did for fun, even your eating habits all chan as you began to better understand your mental health issues and what you needed for your well-being.

Of course, with all these changes in your life, your relationships may have changed as well. Some of the relationships you had before treatment might have ended when you left treatment as a new person. Many acquaintances probably disappeared, your friends who just liked to party moved on to the next fun activity, and you may have been left on your own, living a new life of sobriety and recovery.

At first, these changes may feel frightening and overwhelming. Change is rarely easy and comfortable – very few people enjoy large-scale change. Change is often experienced as uncomfortable. When it comes to your sobriety, however, change can be and is wonderful and necessary.

You probably started to work on becoming more comfortable with change during treatment. You probably talked about and learned skills needed to be at least somewhat comfortable when your life changes. Now that you are out of treatment, you need to take what you have learned and put it into action. Here are a few changes you will notice in your personal life now that you live a sober lifestyle.

Your Friendships May Change

When we make friends, we usually choose people who are similar to us. So when you were struggling with active addiction, you probably gravitated towards people participating in the same activities. You made connections that probably included dangerous and unhealthy choices.

Now that you are sober, those relationships are either gone or have drastically dwindled. If you have a healthy friendship, then the friendship will be able to withstand the changes. Real friends are supportive, especially when the choices you are making are for your health and well-being. Your real and true friends will want to support you through all of the significant changes and choices in your life.

Your sobriety will probably help you realize who your real friends are, who the acquaintances are, and who simply wanted to party or do substances with you. It can be freeing to shed relationships that are filled with toxicity and negativity.

Sometimes we may not want to admit that a particular relationship is not healthy or that it brings us anything but happiness. Not everyone has the best of intentions, and your sobriety makes it easy to see who those people are.

People Will Ask Why You Don’t Drink

We live in a society where it is very common for people to drink. It is typically assumed that everyone drinks, and most of the time, it is met with curiosity if someone does not drink.

You will learn to expect the questions and have your answer ready. Remember, you do not owe anyone an explanation as to why you don’t drink. You should never feel as if you need to explain anything about your mental health to anyone.

People will press to learn more and will want to hear what your life was like to make such a drastic change. Learn what feels okay for you to talk about. Some people may approach you because they have their own struggles that they would like to speak with you about, while others will simply be curious.

Some People Won’t Want to Date You 

The truth is that sobriety and recovery will affect every area of your life for the rest of your life. It is by far the best decision that you have ever decided to make. Every part of your life has benefited from that choice to seek help and work on your mental health and addiction.

If you were single before entering treatment, you might start trying to date once you are settled and back into the swing of things. You may notice that there are some people who will not date you because you are sober and refrain from certain activities. Some people won’t even give you a chance.

You will need to learn to simply be okay with that. You can learn to brush off the rejection and go after the next opportunity that arises. You will know the person is right for you when they accept and respect all of the different boundaries that you have set in place for your well-being and overall safety.

As you work to get and remain sober, your personal life will be impacted and changed. Every part of your life changed the day you decided to enter treatment and become sober. Living a sober life is amazing and beneficial. Many people around you are proud of and confident in your choices and decisions. Some of your relationships, however, will probably change with recovery. Your friendships will begin to look different as you start to do new activities. You may notice some people will not date you. Not everyone will accept your story and understand how far you have come. Here at The Guest House, we know that change can be challenging. Growth is often uncomfortable and a tremendous learning experience. We are here for you for every step of recovery and will help to set you up for successful long-term health. Call us today to learn more about how we can help at (855) 483-7800.