Rebuilding Trust After Addiction
Re-gain Credence After Sobriety
Now that you have completed your time in an addiction treatment program, whether inpatient or outpatient treatment, you are ready to re-enter society as a sober and productive individual. What may come as a surprise to you is the mistrust that you have created among family members, friends, and colleagues. Rebuilding this trust is possible but it may not happen overnight.
The time and effort that you put into rebuilding these relationships, though, will be well worth the wait. Let’s take a look at some of the top ways in which you can improve your former relationships.
5 Ways to Re-build Relationships and Trust
- Constant Communication: This cannot be more emphasized when working to rebuild former relationships. If you think about any type of relationships that you’ve had in the past, the foundation of it was friendship and communication. By letting the individual know that you are seeking help for your addiction because you value the life and friendships that you had before, you are communicating to them that you want them back in your life.
- Ask for Forgiveness: It’s important that you are honest about your past and the mistakes that you have made. Be open and acknowledge that you understand how you have hurt them and ask for forgiveness.
- Be Present: When you used to abuse drugs or alcohol, you were not always ‘there’ or ‘in tune’ with what was going on around you. Your substance abuse consumed you. Now that you are sober, be sure to be present and aware of your friendships and relationships so that you can truly value them.
- Stick to Your Word: Now that you have made the effort to reconnect and re-bond with your former friends, you must keep the promises that you hold with them. A tip is to be by making small promises such as agreeing to meet for coffee and sticking to your plan. By doing this, you are building trust.
- Patience is Key: Keep in mind that it takes time to rebuild these relationships so you must exude patients and understanding during this time.
Over the course of time, your friends and relatives will begin to realize what a change you have made in your life and will begin to able to trust you again.
Set Realistic Expectations
Since you are now a sober individual, you are ready to build relationships and trust. By taking small steps at a time, you can gradually begin to foster meaningful relationships with those whom you have maybe lost their trust.
Lost trust during your addiction came when you perhaps lied or cheated your way around a relationship. Maybe you stole or borrowed money from a friend or family member and never said you would pay them back. It could be that you made countless promises to meet up with your friends but simply never did. These bouts of mistrust lead to the reasons why your friends can no longer count on you.
From here on out you must keep your promises and stick to your word. This is the only way that you will gain the full trust of these individuals once again.
It’s important that you do not beat yourself over what has happened in the past, as the past cannot be changed. However, history does not have to repeat itself which means you are in charge of your actions. Make a point of being in touch with those who you are rebuilding relationships with as this will show your commitment to wanting to keep these ties. It shows that you are invested in taking the time to make this work which speaks volumes to your friends and family.
If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.