Yasmin Recovery Coach

Choosing sobriety is a courageous and transformative decision that sets you on a path toward a healthier, more fulfilling life.  

The journey to sobriety often requires a number of personal changes, and these changes can affect relationships in various ways.  

These changes lead to genuine connection and offer more than just surface-level support; it provides the deep emotional bonds necessary for healing, growth, and long-term recovery.

These are some of my insights during my own personal journey in sobriety over the past three years and how its impacted my own relationships:

1. Impact on Existing Relationships: 

• Healing and Growth: Sobriety can lead to healing within relationships that were strained by substance use. Trust, communication, and emotional availability often improve as the person in recovery becomes more present and reliable. 

• Challenges: Relationships may face challenges as the dynamics change. Partners, family, or friends who were accustomed to certain behaviours may struggle to adjust. There may also be unresolved issues that come to the surface once substance use is no longer a factor.  

2. Supportive Relationships: 

• Encouragement and Understanding: Supportive relationships can be crucial for maintaining sobriety. Friends and family who encourage the sober lifestyle, offer understanding, and respect boundaries can greatly help your recovery process. 

• Co-dependency: It’s important to recognise and address any co-dependent dynamics, where one person may have been enabling your substance use or feel overly responsible for your recovery. 

3. Romantic Relationships: 

• Rebuilding Trust: In romantic relationships, rebuilding trust can be a gradual process. Open communication and setting healthy boundaries are essential for both partners. 

• New Relationships: Entering a new relationship during early sobriety can be risky. It’s often advised to focus on self-growth and stability in the first year of sobriety before starting new relationships as raw emotions and pressures can be overwhelming. Break-ups were often the catalyst for me where I would spiral into depression and drank on my feelings. Now, with a few years of sobriety, I can handle this as I have the tools to manage my emotions and don’t need to pick up a drink.  

4. Friendships: 

• Changing Social Circles: Sobriety may lead to a shift in social circles. Friends who were part of your substance-using lifestyle may no longer be the right fit which can make you feel isolated or a sense of loss. It’s ok to mourn these relationships and your old life.  

• Building New Connections: The good news, it makes room for new connections! Joining support groups, engaging in sober activities, and finding new hobbies can help build a new, supportive network of friends who share similar goals. 

5. Family Dynamics: 

• Rebuilding Relationships with Family: Family members may have been affected deeply by your substance use. In sobriety, these relationships may require time and effort to heal. It took some time to rebuild the trust with my parents as they didn’t believe I really had stopped drinking. Our relationship today is stronger than ever and is based on trust and open communication.

• Setting Boundaries: Establishing healthy boundaries with family members, especially if they are not supportive or understanding of the recovery process, is important for maintaining sobriety.  You may need to put distance with some family members so that you put your recovery first.

6. Self-Relationship: 

• Self-Discovery: Sobriety often leads to a period of self-discovery and personal growth. Understanding yourself without the influence of substances can be challenging but ultimately rewarding and you find out who you really were destined to be!

• Self-Care: Prioritising self-care, including mental health support has been crucial for me to maintain my own sobriety and building healthier relationships with others. 

7. Challenges of Relapse: 

• Impact on Relationships: If relapse occurs, it can strain relationships further, sometimes leading to feelings of guilt, shame, or disappointment.  Open communication and support from loved ones can help navigate these challenges. But don’t give up, there is so much support out there so keep going! 

8. Professional Support: 

• Therapy:  Seeking professional support, such as individual therapy, couples counselling, or family therapy, can help address underlying issues and strengthen relationships during the recovery process. 

• Support Groups: Engaging in support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) can provide a sense of community and understanding, helping you make real, true connections with others.

• Sober Coaching: Provides personal guidance, practical strategies, and emotional support to help build and sustain a fulfilling relationship in sobriety. 

The power of true connection in sobriety is profound. It provides emotional healing, combats isolation and nurtures personal growth, and offers both accountability and support.

It also offers an opportunity for the development of deeper, more meaningful and authentic connections. The key is open communication, setting healthy boundaries, and seeking support when needed. 

Want to know how I can support you? Book in a discovery call today!  

You are not alone, and we can recover together ❤️🧿 💫

Yasmin Recovery Coach Professional