One of the biggest truths you will find out when you get sober is who are really your friends and who are your drinking buddies. For years you were an active alcoholic, surrounding yourself with people who share the same interests as you without judgement, drinking on a regular basis just as you once did. When you finally get sober you may begin to feel lonely, as if you have become alienated. It may bother you at first but you will begin to know the difference between who are your real friends and who are your drinking buddies.
The Dangers of a Drinking Buddy
A drinking buddy can be dangerous for you when newly sober. Typically, you will only relate to this individual in regards to alcohol. The may try to coerce you to do things that will put your sobriety at risk. They may encourage you to have a beer, telling you that ‘one won’t hurt’, ‘you can drink in moderation’ or tell you things like ‘your not an alcoholic, you have your life together’. You know that in the past you never stopped at just one beer but their argument could persuade you into trying. Typically they do not realize the dangers of what they are saying to you, they are under the impression that the treatment you have undergone and your new found sobriety has fixed you and you can become a social drinker again. For some, their drinking problem may be more clear to them now that you are newly sober and they aren’t ready to be sober themselves, causing them to project their fears onto you.
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The Blessing of True Friends
When newly sober you will quickly find out who your true friends are. These are the people in your life who are excited about your sobriety and will do anything they can to help you maintain it, they just want to support you in your recovery. Part of the reason you wanted to stop drinking is to become a happier and healthier person, this will help to make you a better friends and strengthen those friendships that you truly value. Your friends will support you as best as they can, unless they too have first hand experience with addiction and alcoholism they may only be able to offer you verbal support. Just knowing that your have friends who truly care about your recovery is huge when newly sober.
Making Friends in Recovery
You will go to meetings on a regular basis, opening up to a recovery community filled with people of all walks of life that will support you in your recovery. Here you will develop friendships with people who understand all that you are going through. They will give you the added support you need each day, they will understand what you are going through as they once did themselves. You will bond with them, creating long lasting friendships that will promote your sobriety in your day to day life.
