Ending treatment can be a bittersweet experience for most people. On the one hand, you might feel empowered to return to the real world and implement the new skills you've learned. It's hard to be away from home and your support system! On the other hand, you may feel naturally cautious and scared about your success moving forward. The predictability and comfort of treatment may have offered you a much-needed safe haven.
Wherever you fall on this spectrum, most people face some degree of post-treatment loneliness after they complete an episode of care. If you're struggling, here are some tips that may help.
Understanding Post-Treatment Loneliness
Post-treatment loneliness often entails a combination of emotional and social loneliness. It can feel jarring to leave a safe environment and revisit old relationships.
There's a good chance you also changed significantly while in treatment. Your identity and values may have evolved. For the first time, you might have formed actual social relationships with people who cared about the genuine you.
This loneliness may take many forms, including:
feeling disconnected once returning to the real world
feeling like you no longer connect well with old friends or family
missing the structure or routine associated with being in treatment
questioning your new values or identity after leaving treatment
feeling like you don't know how to socialize well while sober
struggling with a fear of intimacy
How to Properly Address Loneliness
All humans are wired to seek and maintain connections. Our mental health thrives when we're in good company with others, and feeling socially disconnected can wreak havoc on our emotional well-being. Authentic connection becomes even more important in recovery.
Stay Connected to Recovery Peer Support
One of the best strategies for enhancing social support is to surround yourself with a like-minded community. Stay active in support groups or with other sober friends. Try to commit to regular participation- doing so combats social isolation and promotes a much-needed sense of belonging.
Strengthen Your Familial and Friend Relationships
The benefits of quality social connection with loved ones really can't be overstated. However, before treatment, there's a good chance that you neglected some of these relationships. Maybe you didn't spend enough time together or acted in ways you now regret. Maybe you were the toxic friend because you weren't as reliable or trustworthy as you would have liked to be. The good news is that it's never too late to acknowledge your mistakes and seek repair.
Engage in Meaningful Group Hobbies and Activities
One central component underlying loneliness is spending too much time alone. And while there's nothing wrong with honoring the need for solidarity, we all need ongoing social interactions to feel regulated and healthy. Consider the hobbies you like the most (or the ones you feel most curious about trying). Getting more involved in these activities introduces you to new friends and gets you out in the world.
Focus on Effort Over Outcome
Connection isn't always a straightforward process. Sometimes it's really hard to make friends and feel a sense of belonging with others. This struggle can also drive loneliness. If this is the case for you, try to focus on the effort (what you consciously control) versus the outcome (what you can't control). This can help you gradually become more comfortable with socializing, and it may be an especially helpful reminder if you experience social anxiety.
Practice Being More Vulnerable With Others
Maybe you have quality family or friends...but you still feel lonely. There's still a part of you that feels disconnected from the outside world. While this is a typical feeling, it can be shameful. Although it may sound counterintuitive, being more vulnerable is one of the best ways to secure closeness with others. When you are truly honest and forthcoming about who you are, people tend to gravitate toward that raw humanness.
Bridging Treatment With Aftercare With Resurface Group
At Resurface Group, we seek to bridge the large gap between inpatient or partial hospitalization treatment to being totally on your own. Our dynamic programs implement community support, ongoing therapy groups, individual case management, and specialized, evidence-based therapy intended to help you recover successfully.
Resurface Connect, our virtual IOP, is fully accessible to adults living in California. We are client-focused and closely work with individuals and their families to co-create a meaningful change process. Wherever you are in your recovery journey, we are here for you.
Contact us today to get started
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