How Do You Cope with Loneliness in Addiction Recovery?

Loneliness is a common feeling that arises during the recovery process, as individuals may struggle to connect with others due to their past experiences and the stigma surrounding addiction. However, there are ways to cope with loneliness in addiction recovery that can help individuals to feel more connected and supported during their journey. And for millions, they’ve been the first line of defense against loneliness. After starting your addiction recovery process, you may experience an array of emotions, one of which is boredom. Because boredom has the potential to increase your likelihood of relapse, it’s essential to find ways to overcome or avoid the feeling.

This situation contributes to loneliness among those with mental health concerns, people who are living with addiction and anyone who experiences comorbid diagnoses. If that feeling of isolation becomes too great, it can be a factor in the presence of suicidal ideation. Loneliness, mental health and addiction often go hand in hand, and it isn’t until recent years that medical professionals started to realize and pay attention to the risks. For individuals in recovery, attending regular group therapy or 12 Step meetings like AA is a way to connect to other sober people and it may be a good time to discuss feelings of loneliness. It is human nature to seek out like-minded individuals in order to feel connected.

Coronavirus Should Not Hinder Your Recovery From Addiction

Some people may even make themselves available if you feel like you need someone to talk to. Going to meetings regularly also gives structure to your day so that if you do feel lonely, you have a definite idea of when that might end. Keep in mind, especially if you’re relatively new, https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/how-to-cope-with-loneliness-during-addiction-recovery/ that engagement is key. While it might help just to be around other people, you still might feel lonely if you just sneak into a meeting and sit in the back. It’s important to remember that loneliness isn’t just the absence of companionship; it’s the presence of psychological stress.

While it can be disheartening and frustrating, relapse is quite common. However, as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains, relapse does not mean that treatment has failed. The chronic nature of addiction means that relapsing is often part of the quitting process.

What Are the Most Common Challenges People Face Early in Addiction Recovery?

Once someone starts drinking to ease loneliness or depression, he or she further increases their sense of loneliness. Additionally, someone drinking can quickly develop a tolerance once he or she drinks a few times. Someone who has 2 to 3 drinks per sitting may soon realize they need a stronger amount of alcohol or more servings per sitting. This can also translate to binge drinking—which is drinking 4 or more drinks in 2 hours for women and 5 or more drinks in 2 hours for men. Although people may drink for a host of reasons, being lonely can put them at increased risk and they should be aware of the link between loneliness and addiction. If you have an underlying mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression, it could worsen during the withdrawal phase.

• Tips to combat boredom in recovery include working toward a goal or focusing your mind on a new hobby.
• In Brighton, more than 100 people nibbled on sandwiches and joined a singalong organized by two local charities.
• Contact us now for more information on this free service to our users.
• And loneliness also disrupts sleep, increases anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and risk of self-harm.
• It also doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re alone in a room with no other people.

When they don’t find ways to cope with the original emotion, it just keeps building and building. If someone is abusing drugs like Xanax, cocaine, or other highly addictive substances, he or she can equally find it hard to quit or go cold turkey. If you or a loved one has fallen victim to an alcohol use disorder, or drug abuse, know there is help available. Loneliness and addiction can be difficult to overcome, but it is possible.

Building a Support System to Combat Loneliness

Additionally, pets provide unconditional love, which can be a great salve for loneliness. Because loneliness is a somewhat widespread issue, there are many people online who are looking for people to connect with. Find people with similar interests by joining Facebook or Meetup groups focused on your passions. Check to see if any apps you use, like fitness or workout apps, have a social element or discussion board to join. In addition to decreasing loneliness, this can bring greater happiness and life satisfaction.

Recovery can be an intensely personal experience, so it’s important to embrace whatever works for you. Identifying your triggers is often the first step in learning how to cope with and manage them. However, learning the tools to cope with triggers is possible with the right support. The rest of this article will address loneliness in the context of addiction. We’ll review the research on the topic – there’s not much – and conclude with our top ten tips on managing loneliness during recovery.