Tag Archive for: isolation in recovery

The Danger of Isolation in Recovery

Why Supported Recovery Is Important

Support groups, recovery staff, sponsors, and mentors help those in recovery to stay accountable, to feel a sense of community, and to know that they are not alone if times get tough. A support network and limited isolation, including the presence of family members at meetings and appointments, helps to create a strong foundation. Also, when family and loved ones attend meetings with someone in recovery, they can better understand addiction and how they can help.

At Fresh Start of California, we understand the importance of 24/7 support and care when you are building your foundation for sobriety. Our Orange County detox and rehabilitation professionals are here to work with you to create the ideal environment for recovery from addiction.

When you are ready to start fresh, and need a team to cheer you on, contact the recovery specialists at Fresh Start of California. Call us now.

The Dangers of Recovering Alone

The biggest danger of isolation in recovery is the increased risk of relapse. Isolation increases and amplifies feelings of:

  • Boredom
  • Depression
  • Guilt
  • Restlessness
  • Frustration

All of these emotional states may contribute to the desire to pick up where you left off. Adversely, if you have a support network that you trust, you have someone to call when these feelings creep in. Isolation breeds the negative emotions associated with social rejection and social disconnection. It is like the old saying, “Misery loves company.” Once you are in a cycle of feeling socially distanced and disconnected, that feeling of being alone and the thoughts that go with it will grow.

Humans are social creatures by nature therefore we need social interaction that offers coping mechanisms, encouragement, and opportunities for a healthy lifestyle. Disconnection specifically can increase stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, insomnia, and depression. The importance of having a solid support group, even if it is just a small circle of people, is immense.

Interactions with others keep our energy and ideas in motion. Support from mentors, sponsors, and trusted recovery teams keeps thoughts fresh and prevents the mind from growing stagnant resulting in ideation of using. Interactions are a source of new perspective while isolation depletes perspective and decreases fresh thinking. Isolation allows the inner voice, often the voice of the addiction, to be heard and unchallenged.

Without connection and interaction, we are more apt to act on self-harming thoughts and possibly, return to the habits that we used to cope with before: namely using a substance to not feel our emotions. A support network of loved ones and professionals in addiction is crucial in finding strength, confidence, and happiness in a new life of sobriety.

Find Support at Fresh Start of California

The evidence is clear. Isolation during recovery and while you build your foundations of sobriety is a dangerous path to choose. Your success and happiness moving out of addiction count on your choices to create the best environment for change that is possible. This is one filled with supportive friends and family and a caring and knowledgeable team of detox and recovery specialists. At Fresh Start of California, you have access to professionals in a multitude of treatment modalities, and support from those who understand what you are going through.

Don’t walk the path of recovery alone. Contact the Orange County detox and rehab specialists at Fresh Start of California today.