When you are new to recovery, the thought of meeting new people, let alone making friends, is not always the first thing on your mind. Instead, you are concentrating on how to maintain structured routines of exercising, eating healthy, working, and practicing the self-care techniques you learned in rehab. However, taking the time to learn how to find sober friends and form new friendships is an essential part of the success of your recovery. Having a few new sober friends provides added support and can help reduce the risks of lapses and relapses.
How to Find Sober Friends
Young men in recovery can find it more difficult and challenging to find sober friends than young women. Yet, when you know where and how to find sober friends, it is easy to find other young men who are also looking for new sober friends.
#1. Move into a Sober Living Home
Suppose you are shy or introverted, or maybe you just have a hard time relating to other young men. The best way to find new sober friends is to move into a sober living home for young men. Many homes also are age-specific, so you can ensure you will be living with other young men around your age.
#2. Check out Meetup.com
Meetup is a social media platform that helps connect like-minded people. It is easy to find sober events, groups, and activities. All you have to do is search using “sober events,” “sobriety,” or “sober young men.” You can search by geographic locations and even create your own sober events and activities.
#3. Volunteer for an Organization in Your Area
There are plenty of organizations that are always looking for volunteers. For example, you could volunteer at food banks, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, or hospitals. Another great option is volunteering at a Boys & Girls Club in your community.
#4. Search for Sober Clubs
Believe it or not, there are sober clubs and bars that are quickly becoming very popular in many metropolitan areas. They include a wide range of activities in a substance-free environment, such as game nights, live entertainment, karaoke, and more.
#5. Start Your Own “Club”
You could start a book club, gaming club, auto repair club, or any other type of club with something that interests you. Then, post your new club on social media or Meetup.com to connect with others who share similar interests and are also looking for sober friends.
#6. Join a Fitness Center
Exercise is a vital part of your recovery regime as it helps alleviate stress and anxiety while naturally releasing endorphins to make you feel better about yourself. By joining a fitness center, you can meet other people interested in healthy lifestyles to encourage and support you in maintaining your health and well-being.
Why Finding Sober Friends in Recovery Is Important
Oftentimes, the friendships you had before rehab consisted of other young men who encouraged drinking and substance misuse. After rehab, reconnecting with these friends is detrimental to your recovery. For starters, they will still want to drink and use drugs. So, hanging out with them could easily cause you to relapse back into your former addictive tendencies.
You may have support from family and friends to help you maintain your sobriety. However, unless they have gone through recovery themselves, it can be difficult for them to truly understand the complexities of remaining sober. So, when you are in the early stages of your recovery, you want to surround yourself with other young men who share a similar sober mindset. They will be just as focused on their sobriety. By forming friendships with them, you can support one another while enjoying events, activities, and just hanging out.
Another benefit of finding sober friends who are also in recovery is understanding the challenges you face daily. They have gone through the same ups and downs of maintaining sobriety. As such, you do not have to feel alone because you have sober friends you can relate to.
As you can see, learning how to find sober friends who support your sobriety is a vital part of your recovery. As you form new friendships, you will discover they help hold you accountable, and offer support, understanding, and companionship. Furthermore, you can help keep each other on the right track to living sober.
Young Men’s Sober Living Homes in Los Angeles, CA
Let us help you find other young men around your age to form new friendships with. Consider continuing your recovery after rehab at our young men’s sober living homes in Los Angeles and Redondo Beach, CA. At New Life House, our homes are gender and age-specific to reinforce the importance of making sober friends as part of your recovery.
Our houses provide a safe, caring, supportive, and structured environment. Also, we offer educational and career opportunities for our residents. To learn more about our sober living homes for young men or how to become a resident, please feel free to visit our admissions page or call us today.
Last Updated on February 22, 2024
