Alcohol and drug rehab will become the most difficult experience of your life. There is no getting around it. In many cases, you are attempting to break through years of bad habits. You can do it. There is no reason why you cannot do it. Part of making this work is building up a social support network around you. Get this right and you are going to increase your chances of success. In this article, we are going to go through some of the people you should have in your support group.
The Professional Counsellor : Even if you feel that you are strong enough to achieve your goals alone, it is strongly recommended that you maintain contact with a professional counsellor. Whilst other people can offer emotional support, they cannot offer you medical advice. Counsellors from alcohol rehab clinics are specially trained in showing you the right direction.
An Accountability Option : Many recovering alcoholics find it easier to go through many of the extreme feelings with the help of someone they can feel accountable to. This can be anyone from a close family member to a best friend. Accountability means you are far less likely to let someone down. You want so much to prove that you are strong enough to beat your demons. Keep in touch with this person and keep sharing your goals with them.
Immediate Help : You are going to suffer from cravings at moments where you will not be able to find your counsellor. Let’s say you wake up in the middle of the night and you’re desperate for a drink. Your best option now is to contact someone who will always be available. Most of the time, you cannot rely on a friend to do this.
Your best guarantee is a specialist alcohol helpline. These helplines are often provided by rehab clinics and stay open 24/7. This allows you to reach out to someone before your cravings begin to overcome you.
The Social Butterfly : One of the easiest ways to distract your mind from alcohol is to go out and find someone who you can enjoy spending time with outside of home and work. When you are sitting in the home with nothing to do, cravings are more likely. If someone is willing to spend time with you away from your usual environment, you will open yourself up to new experiences and have real physical support alongside you.
A Word on Sobriety : Finally, you should make sure that you are not working with people who have problems with alcohol themselves. If they do drink, they should know not to drink around you until you feel comfortable being around alcohol as a non-drinker. It is counterproductive to have someone who is drinking when you are in the immediate vicinity. It is only going to add an extra temptation to your life.
Overall, if you decide to surround yourself with the right people, you are going to have a greater chance of success. Recovering alcoholics have credited much of their success to having a network of people they can lean on when they are feeling at their lowest.
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