Women With Addiction Old Habits and New Truths

You are just starting your addiction recovery journey.  It’s challenging but you know it’s the right choice.  There are some choices to make every day to keep yourself on the straight and narrow.  People around you say that certain friends and places are bad for you now, you have to stay completely away.  You really don’t want to believe them, but could it be true?

Threats to Sobriety Can Be Hidden to You

Sometimes there are dangers in places you would never think about.  There’s a saying that the worst enemy often hides in the very last place you’d look.  A wolf in sheep’s clothing.  What you’ve always assumed to be something completely trustworthy may pose a great risk to your sobriety.

Am I suggesting that you get completely paranoid about every kind gesture and any person you’ve known your whole life?  No, certainly not.  But consider this – you have most likely turned a blind eye to red flags and warning signals about certain people and situations while actively in your addiction. 

Social Judgment Is Poor With Drug Addiction

A person with a warrant for their arrest, drinking themselves into oblivion right in fron of you doesn’t ring any sort of alarm bell.  If you are needing companionship, you may overlook the fact that your boyfriend shoots herion into his arms about every two or three days.  These people really like you, so you just hang out with them anyway.  Besides, you each “do your thing” (your drug or alcohol addiction), so how could you pass judgment on them?

Now that you are choosing a sober life, you are likely to see these same people and situation in a different way.  If you are new to sobriety, your mind’s eye may not be able to bring some things into focus at one time.  Something you believe to be safe and trustworthy may now be connected with something you realize could throw you right back into an addiction. 

Why You Can’t Always Trust What You Knew During Your Addiction

But this doesn’t make sense.  Your sister has had your back, listened to your troubles, been there for the good times, and sticks by you now.  But you know she throws parties with friends that still drink and sometimes do drugs.  Your urge is to go with the comfortable feeling and spend a lot of time with her.  Yet there’s something wrong…..the logical part of your mind knows this won’t end well. 

Last night she had a drinking party and you had no ride home.  You were stuck there, facing all the people drinking and getting high right in front of you.  Your feelings don’t want to believe this, don’t want to see this, don’t know how to bring it into focus yet.  Your friend is a threat to your sobriety.

Everyone With Addiction Needs Support Maybe Even Drug Rehab

If you have been through drug or alcohol rehab, you may have some coping skills and social skills to help you deal with these kinds of situations.  If you are coming out of your addiction on your own, you may have great difficulty getting through this vulnerable time.  Consider getting drug treatment, a support group, or even drug rehab if you are new at sobriety.  The odds of you staying sober without some kind of well-informed help from others are slim.