Building Social Support In Recovery

The expression “it takes a village” is often heard in different addiction recovery settings, such as group therapy sessions and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or other peer support group meetings. This expression alludes to a common truth: People usually need help from others to achieve long-term addiction recovery.

Though the desire and courage to face addiction ultimately must come from within, experts in the substance abuse field recognize that social support in recovery is crucial for lasting sobriety.

People surrounded by a strong social support network remain in treatment longer and are less likely to relapse, according to an article shared by the National Library of Medicine. But building a healthy support network doesn’t happen overnight.

Below we’ll discuss what social support is, where to find it, how to develop it, and its benefits in recovery.

What Is Social Support In Recovery?

When someone begins addiction treatment, they typically won’t know the staff or any peers in treatment. They also usually have limited contact with family and other loved ones in order to focus fully on the first steps to recovery. However, as treatment progresses, supportive loved ones will often be asked to become involved in the client’s recovery journey, and relationships with treatment professionals and peers in recovery will begin to develop. These people usually make up a person’s social support network during recovery, with relationships built on a healthy foundation.

After completing treatment, online support communities may also become part of a person’s social support.

Types Of Social Support

The Boston Center for Treatment Development and Training lists social support sources as family, friends, treatment professionals, community service agencies, and even coworkers.

Your social support network might include anyone who is encouraging of and beneficial to your long-term recovery.

Friends And Family

Many people begin addiction treatment after being encouraged by family members or other loved ones to do so. These people often have a clearer view of the negative effects of your substance use and want to see you regain control of your life.

Your care team may discuss with you inviting supportive family members or other close loved ones to be a part of your recovery journey. Family participation may include learning about your substance use disorder (SUD), your needs in recovery, and where to find support themselves. It may involve family or couples’ therapy sessions for developing healthy communication skills and rebuilding relationships that have been harmed by the effects of addiction. Loved ones who are involved in your recovery can be critical sources of support.

Peers In Recovery

Peers can include fellow clients in treatment, 12-step meeting members, or participants in group therapy sessions. As people in recovery themselves, peers can relate to your experiences with drug or alcohol addiction, offer non-judgmental support, and provide inspiration and practical advice regarding how to deal with triggers and avoid relapse. These people understand where you’ve been, how you’ve felt, and the general ups and downs of recovery firsthand. For many people in recovery, the peers who they first get sober with and continue to recover with represent some of the closest relationships they form.

Professional Support

Once you have decided to seek help with recovering from addiction, your first contact may be with staff at an addiction treatment center or a licensed therapist or counselor. Addiction treatment specialists are trained to offer guidance and encouragement throughout the recovery process.

Many facilities hire staff who’ve gone through treatment themselves, so they understand what a client is experiencing in the many stages of recovery and can serve as an example of what recovery looks like. These professionals provide support by offering a safe space for clients to express their fears, doubts, goals, and successes and help them stay accountable. Staff at treatment centers can also help connect clients with other valuable sources of support, such as community organizations.

Community Service Agencies

It’s not uncommon for people facing addiction to need assistance with housing, food, employment, legal issues, and other matters related to their long-term recovery. Staff at community service agencies and organizations can connect you with the help you need, serving as an ongoing source of support as your needs and goals during recovery evolve.

Online Communities

The rise of online 12-step meetings and other support groups has made the internet a valuable source of community and support for people in recovery. Some people feel more comfortable expressing their recovery obstacles and accomplishments in this perhaps more anonymous manner or with people in a specific part of the country or world. Although meeting face-to-face provides specific benefits, such as accountability, virtual groups come in handy when traveling or at other times when meeting in person doesn’t make sense. Online communities also provide an opportunity to stay connected when clients return home to different locations following treatment or move to a new city.

Strengthening Social Support In Recovery

The relationship between social support and addiction treatment engagement and success is well established, as outlined by research published in Substance Use & Addiction Journal. Below we’ll offer practical examples of how to build and strengthen social support in recovery from addiction.

Engage With Loved Ones And Recovery Peers

Once you have completed addiction treatment, continue to engage with supportive loved ones and peers in recovery on a regular basis. This might look like inviting family members to participate in ongoing therapy sessions or continuing to attend AA meetings or other peer support groups. It might involve scheduling a monthly dinner or phone call with family members to keep in touch.

Some rehab centers offer alumni programs for clients who have participated in treatment, providing easy ways to stay connected with peers and members of your care team.

Participate In Sober Social Activities

Engaging in sober social activities within support group programs is an excellent way to continue building strong, positive connections during recovery. These activities may include outings, game nights, and holiday events, providing a safe, substance-free environment. Sober social activities help you and other participants bond over shared experiences, have fun without the use of drugs or alcohol, and create lasting memories together. They also provide opportunities to practice social skills in a supportive setting, reducing feelings of isolation.

Use Online Resources

Virtual recovery support groups and forums provide a platform available almost anywhere for connecting with others facing similar challenges, offering mutual encouragement and advice. Online therapy and counseling services make professional help more accessible, too, especially for those with limited mobility or living in remote areas. Educational websites, webinars, and blogs offer updated information on coping strategies, relapse prevention, and self-care techniques. Social media groups dedicated to recovery can also provide a sense of community and ongoing support. These digital tools help maintain engagement and motivation, complementing in-person recovery efforts and offering continuous support.

Offer Support For Someone Else’s Recovery Journey

Although not always a good option when first starting out on your recovery journey, when the focus often should be more on yourself, you may find as you progress in your journey that it is beneficial to support others’ journeys. Participating in someone else’s recovery not only helps them but also helps you.

Participating in someone else’s journey may look like the following:

• attending support group meetings together
• offering transportation to therapy sessions
• providing emotional support through regular check-ins
• helping with daily tasks and errands
• assisting with job searches and applications
• sharing information about local resources and services
• encouraging healthy lifestyle choices
• participating in sober social activities together
• offering a listening ear during tough times
• celebrating milestones and achievements in recovery

Benefits Of Social Support During Recovery

When someone has a reliable social support system backing them throughout their recovery, they tend to have better results at all stages of recovery, including a reduced risk of relapse. Benefits come in three general forms: emotional support, informational support, and practical support.

Emotional Support

Having someone to lean on in difficult times is essential for everyone. People receive emotional support through a safe environment where they can share their feelings and experiences without fear of judgment. Healthy social support involves empathy, understanding, and encouragement, which helps reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation often associated with early recovery from addiction.

Treatment professionals may be the first people to provide this type of support, but it can also come from peers in recovery and supportive loved ones.

Informational Support

Especially at the start of recovery, having accurate information about addiction and recovery is critical. Treatment specialists will provide this, but useful information can also come from peers who share similar life experiences.

For example, peer support groups such as AA can be a place where advice and insights about addiction and recovery are shared. This includes guidance on developing coping strategies and managing triggers as well as on where to find professional help and other local resources, such as job training programs, when needed. This collective wisdom helps people make informed decisions about their recovery journeys.

Practical Support

Practical support during recovery involves tangible assistance, such as offering rides to meetings, assisting with job searches, providing childcare, or helping with daily tasks. This type of support can be critical as people are rebuilding their lives and learning healthy ways to deal with stress.

A Note On Social Support And Self-Reliance

While social support provides invaluable emotional, informational, and practical assistance during recovery, and in life in general, it’s also important to recognize and celebrate your own growing self-reliance.

As you learn and strengthen healthy coping skills and build a healthy lifestyle in recovery, getting adequate sleep, nutrition, exercise, social time, and alone time, you will begin to recognize when reaching out for help is the right call and when taking a nap or eating a well-balanced meal will do the trick. Developing trust in yourself as well as others is a major benefit of having healthy social support, and it’s also a key ingredient to a life of freedom from addiction.

Get Started On The Path To Recovery

Call us today to learn how Spring Hill Recovery Center’s multidisciplinary, holistic treatment approach provides you with all the tools you need for lasting recovery.