Rehab teaches some pretty great therapeutic tools for recovery. It helps address deep issues like coping mechanisms and crisis planning. But the logistics of preventing relapse in the Information Age require lateral (read: practical) adjustments as well. Technology now entices us to stay ever-connected with our social network. But that allure spells almost certain doom for people trying to crawl out of addiction. It’s wise to consider prepping your social life for relapse prevention. As Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter spend billions of dollars vying four our attention, it takes real effort to step back and consider this:
Prepping Your Social Life for Relapse Prevention
Enablers come in many forms. Aside from the obviously problematic contacts like old dealers, many people in recovery struggle with more ambiguous social boundaries. In this instance, it’s worth heeding the old adage, “You are the company you keep.”
When prepping your social life for relapse prevention, consider your contacts with these questions in mind:
- Do I have a history of using with this person?
- Does this person have an active addiction problem?
- Does this person have a functional, productive lifestyle?
- What kind of friends does this person keep?
- What kind of social activities do we bond over (and are drugs/alcohol present)?
- Does this person genuinely support my sobriety?
Wiping out Phone Contacts
The questions above take nuance into consideration. But before they can be applied successfully, a full social purge needs to occur. That signals a broad-brush approach to wiping out your phone contacts.
Don’t let relapse triggers slip through the cracks. When prepping your social life for relapse prevention, follow these guides for deleting your phone contacts. You can add important phone numbers back later!
Deleting Social Media
The next step in prepping your social life for relapse prevention is getting rid of your social media accounts. Rather than sifting through thousands of profiles one-by-one on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and whatever else, we recommend just deleting your profile and starting anew.
This additive method of friend filtering offers a much more effective approach than the subtractive way.
New Friend Request!
How to Delete Social Profiles
Snapchat
Arranging Sober Living
Your rehab center will likely facilitate arrangements for sober living. But if they don’t, we recommend a few guidelines when choosing a sober living home.
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Avoid co-ed homes
Mixing men and women creates personal drama that can interfere with sobriety.
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House Manager on Site
Make sure they live at the house so rules are enforced
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Ask About Curfew & Chores
Sober living homes enforce different rules depending on where you go
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Check Meeting Schedule
Most sober living homes host weekly in-house meetings
New Start Recovery offers options for males seeking sober living arrangements in Orange County. To ask about open beds or other treatment options, call our admissions staff any time: 855-737-7363