The experience of feeling alone is something all people will feel many times throughout their life. It might sound funny, but no one is alone in feeling lonely. However, for a person struggling with substance abuse, the feelings of loneliness only get worse as isolation increases. As addiction takes hold, many individuals withdraw from friends, family, and social activities, possibly from shame, guilt, or a desire to hide their problem. Isolation becomes a painful cycle of pushing others away while also craving connection. Unfortunately, this loneliness doesn’t just hurt emotionally, it can also worsen addictions.
When beginning recovery, overcoming isolation can feel overwhelming. Months or years of withdrawal from meaningful relationships, damaged trust, and social anxiety can make it difficult to reconnect with others. But overcoming isolation is vital for lasting sobriety. Building a strong, sober support system provides positive encouragement, accountability, and a sense of belonging, all of which are significant factors in maintaining a healthy, substance-free life.
In this article, we will take a close look at isolation, why it is so common in addiction, and the dangers it presents for recovery. Highlighting how residential rehab centers provide the perfect environment to reconnect and heal, you’ll learn the many reasons why residential rehab is a great place to overcome isolation while getting sober. Finally, we will share practical strategies to help you overcome isolation, both during and after rehab, so you can build a fulfilling and healthy life with a strong sober social network.
Understanding Isolation in Addiction
What Is Isolation?
Isolation is a lack of social contact with others and interaction with only a few people. Not only can isolation be physical separation, but it also includes emotional separation. Isolation can be by choice or by circumstance, but no matter the reason, it leads to a lack of social interaction, and supportive and meaningful relationships.
While there are benefits to occasional solitude, prolonged isolation can have serious effects on mental health, increasing the risk of loneliness, depression, anxiety, drug or alcohol abuse, or relapse for those who are in recovery.
Why Do People Struggling With Addiction Isolate Themselves?
Isolation can lead to addiction and the opposite is true, addiction can lead to isolation. Either way, isolation plays a significant role in an addict’s experience. The reasons why a person may isolate themself while going through addiction depend on each individual and their personal experience. However, the following are the five most common reasons an addict may isolate themselves:
1. A person may self-isolate out of shame and guilt that is brought on by their substance use disorder. Or perhaps, their addiction has convinced them that no one will understand and they choose to stay in their addiction alone.
2. Another common reason for isolation is that the addict wants to hide their problem from their loved ones. Perhaps this is out of fear of judgment or disappointment. Isolating is commonly seen after relapse out of fear of feeling like a failure.
3. Substance use disorders have a way of damaging relationships and causing trust issues. Isolation is a common way an addict will avoid confronting these issues, or the isolation might even be the cause of the damaged relationship.
4. Addiction has a strong connection to depression and mental health struggles. It does not matter if these are brought on by the addiction or have caused the addiction, depression and mental health issues are linked to isolation.
5. Humans are social by nature. Substance abuse, many times, will take the place of these social interactions, increasing isolation.
How Common Is Isolation In Addiction?
Isolation is a common experience for individuals struggling with addiction. Over half of adults over the age of 45 who have struggled with an addiction report being lonely.
Those in recovery share experiences of guilt and shame, loss of relationships, feel misunderstood, have trust issues, and withdrawal from social activities. Isolation and loneliness play a major role in the shared experiences of those in recovery.
The Dangers of Isolation in Recovery
How Isolation Threatens Sobriety
Loneliness and isolation in early recovery have a way of creeping in and making a person feel different from others, leading to substance use as a coping mechanism.
Isolation leads to a lack of accountability, and without accountability, relapse is a potential problem.
The longer a person stays in isolation and swimming in their loneliness, the more likely they will struggle with depression and have the urge to use.
Not having a safe and encouraging support system to turn to in a moment of crisis is a danger for turning to old ways and relapsing.
The Impact On Mental and Emotional Health
Isolation breeds depression, anxiety, and feelings of unworthiness.
Prolonged isolation makes it difficult to build relationships and restore relationships that have been impacted by your addiction.
Without social support, people may struggle to cope with stress, which increases emotional distress.
Why Residential Rehab is the Perfect Place to Overcome Isolation
A Safe and Supportive Environment for Healing
Entering into a residential addiction rehab in Salt Lake City, individuals are surrounded by caring professionals and peers who understand and relate to their struggles.
Residential rehab is a place to recover and receive support in a safe and supportive environment that offers care around the clock, monitoring, and support.
Rehab has many structured programs that encourage social interactions such as counseling, group therapy, and holistic activities to help heal the mind, body, and spirit.
Breaking the Cycle of Isolation
At residential rehab, the opportunity to connect with others in group therapy helps to establish new connections with others and encourage the rebuilding of damaged relationships.
Various activities in rehab, counseling, and group therapy help a person learn to communicate openly and rebuild trust with other people.
Developing a Sober Support System Early in Recovery
Forming friendships in rehab provides needed support, understanding, and encouragement when you are removed from everything you know. In a safe and structured environment, people have the chance to connect with others who share similar struggles, helping to replace isolation with meaningful relationships.
Creating friendships in rehab with others who encourage you to stay committed to your recovery goals helps a person stay motivated and accountable. Seeing other people work through struggles similar to their own is inspiring and encouraging.
Opportunities for Growth
Rehab presents many opportunities for growth, socially and personally. Below is a list of a few ways a person can experience growth during residential rehab:
- Group therapy, workshops, and opportunities for shared experiences in rehab provide an opportunity for social growth. This sets an example of what positive, healthy relationships and lifestyles look like.
- Holistic approaches provide personal growth, providing healing of the mind, body, and spirit through exercise, nutrition, and spiritual guidance if desired.
- In rehab individuals learn how to set boundaries for themselves and how to engage in healthy relationships, which provide the opportunity for personal and social growth.
6 Practical Strategies for Overcoming Isolation During and After Rehab
During Rehab
1. Actively participate in group therapy and activities as much as possible. Even when you feel uncomfortable, force yourself to go and participate. The fact is, in a residential rehab you are living in this structured community for a significant period of time. The sooner you make connections and stop isolating, the more benefits you will receive from rehab.
2. Grieve for your addiction, after all, it was a huge part of your life for a time and took the place of many meaningful parts and people of your life. It is normal to experience a sense of loss, whether it’s from your old way of life or past relationships, you must say goodbye.
3. Be honest with yourself and with others. Lying is a major part of addiction and hiding is a habit that needs to be broken as soon as possible. Be open to sharing your experience with others.
4. Practice rebuilding your communication skills and social skills. While learning and developing healthy relationships in rehab, you are preparing for rebuilding relationships later on.
5. Make connections with people who can become part of your sober network for years to come. The motivation and accountability from a peer is unmatched.
6. Be kind to yourself, forgive yourself, and remind yourself that you are not your addiction, you have been, and will be, a better and different person without drugs or alcohol in your life.
After Rehab
1. Continue engaging in therapy of some sort. This can be through an outpatient program, group meetings like AA, or counseling.
2. If you haven’t already, reconnect with healthy relationships from the past. Even if your apology is not well received, the act of making amends provides a healing opportunity.
3. Reach out to someone when you are feeling lonely. Choose someone that makes you feel cared for and not judged. It is important to reach out to your sober support system in times of weakness.
4. Restructure your life. Obviously, the way you were living before was not healthy and landed you in rehab. Expect to alter your lifestyle, filling it with healthy relationships and sober activities.
5. Keep busy and get involved in sober activities. Old hobbies that need to be rekindled, volunteering opportunities, and participating in exercise are all healthy and enjoyable ways to fill your free time, preventing loneliness and isolation.
6. Continue journaling even after you leave residential treatment. Journaling offers healing by working through difficult emotions and releasing them from your body. Not only should you use your journal to release negative emotions, but use it to document positive things in your life and keep your focus on what makes you feel grateful.
Battling and beating isolation in recovery is not just about avoiding loneliness, it is about learning to embrace connections again, accountability, and having the support needed to build a fulfilling and sober life. Beating isolation may feel challenging at first, but with the help of a residential rehab program, you can gain the foundation for developing meaningful relationships and learn to trust others again. By being an active participant in therapy, forming bonds with others in the same program, and taking intentional steps to stay connected after rehab, you can create a strong and sober support system that will help you stay on track. Remember, no one recovers alone. Recovery is a shared experience and the connections you build along the way will play a major role in your long-term success.
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