Drug and alcohol recovery is one of the main services we provide through Adult & Teen Challenge USA. While attending our Christian recovery programs is a great way to overcome your addictions and get your life back on track, once you graduate there are a lot of temptations from your old life that may come into play. One common struggle that many students have had over the years is learning how to have better friendships after completing our drug and alcohol recovery program. Many of our students have friends that aided in their addiction, and they are unsure of how to have relationships that are actually beneficial to their continued health.
The Importance of Healthy Friendships
Chances are, we all know what it is like to have both good and bad friendships. A good friendship will help build you up and give you support and encouragement when you are struggling. A bad friendship will encourage you to continue negative behaviors and tear you down instead of building you up. When completing drug and alcohol recovery through Adult & Teen Challenge, our staff will teach you the importance of healthy relationships in your continued recovery.
On many occasions, the students that attend our drug and alcohol recovery programs have friends who are also into those same bad habits. So, the friends that they had when they entered our drug and alcohol recovery programs will not be the same after they graduate. Finding healthy relationships helps you continue on your recovery path and not get sucked down the path of old temptations.
Finding the Right Friendships
Now that we have an understanding of the importance of healthy friendships, you may be wondering how to achieve healthier friendships after you graduate from our drug and alcohol recovery programs. Well, a great place to start is the people that you attended your Christian recovery program with. You have spent the last several weeks with these people getting to know them and traveling on the recovery path together. This common bond helps form strong relationships that can last for years to come.
Another great option is getting connected at your church. Having people that share the same beliefs as you is a great way to find healthy relationships that will build you up instead of tear you down. Don’t feel like you have to be friends with just anyone so that you have some sort of relationship after graduating from our recovery programs. Take your time, and choose people that will strengthen you and that you can strengthen as well.
