Healthy relationships are an essential component of recovery. Everyone needs to feel as if they belong in a community or a group. Feeling equal to and an important part of a group can substantially impact a person’s mental health and overall well-being.
After treatment, you may find yourself beginning to make new friends and acquaintances. Often there are quite a few relationships from before treatment that do not make it into your life after treatment. Understanding what makes a relationship healthy versus unhealthy is essential knowledge. If you are at the point where you are ready to start making new connections, here are a few tips on determining whether or not the relationship is healthy.
Healthy Boundaries
Boundaries are a crucial element in recovery. They help to keep you safe and out of situations that you may not be ready to face. Establishing firm boundaries after treatment is one of the first things to do.
You will know when a relationship is healthy when your friend respects and supports your boundaries. If you are in a healthy relationship, the other person will want you to succeed. They will want to know all of your boundaries and how they can help you maintain those boundaries. If you had relationships in the past that centered around your substance of choice or risky behavior, it will be important to see how those people respond to your new lifestyle goals.
Mutual Honesty
A healthy relationship will center around honesty. As someone in recovery, you need to surround yourself with people that you can be honest with. Those people will also need to feel comfortable being honest with you as well. If something is making you uncomfortable or pushing your boundaries, you need to have the ability to speak up. Along those same lines, if someone is engaging in behavior that does not align with your goals, you will need to be honest and tell them.
Encouragement for Your Journey
Recovery can be a challenging time. You may face challenges and struggles after treatment that will test your sobriety and make you think about your goals. Having people in your life that encourage you to be the best version of yourself is an amazing thing.
Encouragement will help you on those tough days. Suppose you find yourself questioning your ability to remain in recovery and sober; you will lean not only on a mental health professional but also on the great relationships in your life. It is the people you have those relationships with that know you best and will be able to encourage you to keep pushing forwards towards your goals.
Mutual Trust
Trust is important in relationships. As someone in recovery, you need to be able to trust those in your life to want the best for you. You should be able to trust that they will be there for you when you need them. There needs to be trust that they will not place you in a dangerous position for your sobriety and well-being.
Healthy relationships are essential and center around being open and honest. Work on being able to tell people in your life what you need from them and what is no longer acceptable in your life. The people who are healthy for you to be around will listen to you and want to work with you to create a relationship that is trustworthy and comfortable.
Encourages Accountability
Accountability can be a huge component of recovery. You will learn to hold yourself accountable for your actions and your choices. Having relationships that also encourage accountability is essential. Accountability in relationships should include every member of the relationship.
You can hold your loved ones accountable to respect your boundaries and help you to create a safe space. You will also need to be accountable for your sobriety and for placing your mental health first. Having people in your life who enable unhealthy behavior is dangerous in recovery. Work to create relationships that support you and help you hold firm to your goals on challenging days.
Brings Positivity
Surrounding yourself with people who are positive can have a significant impact on your well-being. Positive and supportive relationships will help you get through challenging days where you struggle to see the positive in yourself. Mental health is often very complex. Continue to work towards understanding yours better. The relationships in your life can have a significant impact on the state of your mental health.
Aligned Goals
Having relationships with people who have similar lifestyles and goals will help you to work through early recovery. The temptation to use your substance of choice and relapse is very real. It is essential to choose your support system with those issues in mind. Healthy relationships will help you relax into your new lifestyle and learn more about the new life you are creating for yourself.
Surrounding yourself with positive and healthy relationships is an integral part of recovery. A lot about your life changed when you decided to seek treatment for your addiction and work on your mental health. The healthy relationships in your life will help you to journey down the road of recovery. Surround yourself with relationships that bring positivity to your life. Healthy relationships will include trust and encouragement and help you on those challenging and dark days when you question your ability to maintain your sobriety. Here at The Guest House, we understand that recovery is filled with exploration and change. Sometimes that change can be hard to navigate. Learning to surround yourself with relationships that are healthy can be a learning process. We are here to help you through that process. You are not alone. Call us today at (855) 483-7800 to learn more about how we can support your recovery journey.