Being in recovery means taking suggestions and deciding if you are going to follow them. One of the least popular suggestions is waiting until you have a year of sobriety before you get into a romantic relationship with someone. This entails dating, becoming committed, marriage, or just plain hooking up. Starting in a serious relationship while trying to get sober can be a disaster in the making. During this time, you need to focus on your sobriety more than anything and a new relationship could put your sobriety in jeopardy for a couple of reasons.
You are still growing
When you become newly sober, the transition can be quite difficult. You are working on changing your behaviors and your thought process, and if you have a relationship in the mix of all of this, you may put that first over your recovery. People who become in love or infatuated with someone in early sobriety have a higher potential to relapse because their recovery foundation is not as solid as it would be a year later after working their program. Being rejected and feeling unworthy are some of the reasons you drank and used in the first place. Feeling these things after a breakup could be the trigger to pick up drugs and alcohol to numb out.
You are still emotional
Being newly sober means that you are basically a raw nerve walking around. After taking away drugs and alcohol, you have nothing to take the edge off and nothing to help suppress all the feelings you are experiencing. A breakup along with early recovery can be the fuel to a fire that can lead straight to relapse because of the emotional nature that surrounds calling off a relationship.
You are still impressionable
Recovery gives you the ability to find yourself and become the person you were meant to. The vulnerability that you need in your sobriety can trickle into your relationship and keep you from being who you want to be because you may unintentionally try to become the person, they want you to be. Codependency runs rampant among those who suffer from addiction and can keep you from reaching your full potential.
Staying out of a relationship for the first year is a good idea to save yourself from another heartache after you have already broken up with drugs and alcohol. Single is not a bad thing and any relationship you have after you have done some inside work on yourself will no doubt be your healthiest relationship yet.
Offering a full range of recovery and mental health services, Detox Center of Colorado offers “Expanded Recovery” to enrich our clients’ lives in mind, body, and spirit. Through evidence-based therapy options and the endless adventure of Colorado, Detox Center of Colorado fosters connection, encouraging clients to get connected to themselves, their peers, their families, and their higher power. With the power of recovery, clients are restored to full health and experience life-changing healing. Call us today for more information: 303-536-5463
