Dating After Rehab: Everything You Need To Know
The most exciting part of recovering from substance use is to slowly get back to your regular activities, including going back to work or school, hanging out with friends again and finding new hobbies and interests. Recovering from drug abuse is possible with effective treatment. It is a long process, but it is surely possible. One of the main activities people warn about however is dating in recovery. The heartbreak of breaking up can cause many to relapse, and two addicts dating in recovery can increase chances of relapsing.
On the other hand, when we talk about dating in recovery, several questions might be running in our mind. Is dating in recovery is safe or helpful for patients who are coping with addiction? Will people in recovery be able to build a relationship with another person while they are trying to stay sober? How about when both of them are in recovery? Will it help them both to bounce back to life or will the complications only lead both of them to get into relapse? Based on the most recent data, about 40 to 60 percent of patients with drug addiction go into relapse. Getting into a relationship or dating might cause some persons in recovery stress so here are some of the things patients should know about dating in recovery.
Dating in Recovery: Don’t Rush Things
We know that intimate relationships bring positive emotions that can ease loneliness and anxiety. But while there is no fixed time before we can say that a patient in recovery is ready to date someone, letting a year pass after getting out of rehab might be a good idea. A patient in recovery who have just been out of a rehab facility should know that his or her main priority is keeping tabs of his or her recovery plan. It includes strengthening one’s skills to handle emotions and urges and maintain sobriety. The longer you have maintained sobriety as a single person before dating in recovery, the better.
Acceptance Plays a Role in Recovery
We know that dating can sometimes be difficult and getting emotionally involved with someone is harder. When a patient is dating in recovery, he or she will often think if someone is ready to accept the past. Studies show that the role of other people to a patient in recovery is very important.
One of the things that people who are dating a patient in recovery should understand is that recovering addicts have learned a lot of coping skills to help them communicate and process their emotions. Being in recovery is a commitment and patients know that they are in a lifelong process of improving themselves. So when you meet someone who has been in rehab for women, look at her as someone who is strong-willed for getting to the stage of recovery and do not mock her as a person who has had an addiction. Genuine care and help from other people are very helpful to patients in recovery.
Find a Healthy Relationship
For a patient who is in recovery, he or she should always remember that it is not good to hide the past when you want to have a healthier and normal life. The patient in recovery should be open that he is recovering from substance use disorder. If that person will accept that fact negatively, then he or she won’t be helpful as a friend or a future partner even if you are not dating in recovery. Dating in recovery might also present new challenges sooner. That’s why it is best to keep attending therapies and the required sessions your counselors have recommended.
Have a Strong Foundation as an Individual
When two people who are both in recovery date, it might seem a good match but reality will soon show that it will be doubly challenging. Recovering addicts who are dating in recovery might feel a genuine connection with one another instantly but they should also be careful of feeding each one’s toxicity. So before a patient decides to date someone who is also a recovering addict it is best to have a strong individual foundation that will help him or her cope with the challenge when the other person relapses.
Know your Limits and Set Boundaries
Dating a person while in recovery or while being sober is really difficult. That’s why patients should know their triggers very well and set clear boundaries and limits. This will help the patient to prevent relapse. Each person has his own limitations and weaknesses. Being in long-term recovery is a long process of personal growth as an individual which is possible once a person has developed strong and healthy coping mechanisms. A potential partner will help patients in recovery to respect the person’s limitations and help him or her in recognizing those boundaries. Relapse is always possible but if a patient is committed to keeping it at bay, they should know their limits and set clear rules when dating in recovery.
