The early stages of recovery demand complete focus on a singular goal — breaking free of the chains of addiction.
It’s a battle that often immerses people completely. People who have recently stopped drinking tend to focus everything they have on learning about addiction and staying sober. Every milestone becomes a celebration. As the cloud of alcohol abuse lifts, feelings of euphoria, optimism, and hope can arise. There’s even a name for it — Pink Cloud Syndrome.
Being able to rely on recovery support groups and supportive loved ones is among the strongest predictors of success during this time.
As you stabilize in your recovery, the power of the Pink Cloud wears off — and something even more amazing happens. You find yourself ready to explore the world beyond the confines of your past and embrace a life where neither alcohol nor recovery plays a leading role.
Building a strong social support network beyond the safety and familiarity of recovery support groups is crucial during this time. Alcohol abuse may have eroded your past social networks, or the people you used to value could still be drinking while you’re working hard to maintain a sober environment.
How can you build a new social support network later in life?
Actively Look for Sober Social Events
You only discover how many social activities place alcohol in the limelight once you stop drinking. Fortunately, not every event is like that! Sober social events that can grow to play a central role in your life include:
- Game nights.
- Outdoor adventures like hiking, biking, running, kayaking, or bird watching.
- Cooking workshops.
- Community choirs.
- Pottery classes.
- Community garden ventures.
All of these sober social events — and many beyond them — allow you to meet new people who are genuinely passionate about the same things as you. Any event that takes place at least once a month will, at a minimum, help you build a new social routine you can enjoy. If you’re lucky and active in your new hobbies, you may even meet friends for life.
Consider Volunteering
We’re not suggesting you launch a new volunteer career in the early stages of recovery, but people who are stable in their sobriety can find great value in altruism. Volunteering has more than one benefit:
- It keeps you busy and helps you develop a new routine.
- Volunteering can help you build confidence; knowing you are sharing your time and skills with a wider community gives you a sense of belonging, purpose, and connection.
- It opens the door to networking opportunities. You may meet people you love spending time with outside of your volunteer work.
Find Fitness and Wellness Activities You Enjoy
Going to the gym can help you get fit and healthy — but it’s not a great community builder. If you’re hoping to meet new people who support your sober and healthy lifestyle, it’s better to look for settings that put you face-to-face with the same people every week.
Team sports, yoga, tai chi, meditation, martial arts, urban running groups training for marathons, and skateboarding lessons are just some examples of fitness activities that may help you accomplish more than increased fitness.
The people drawn to these communities are uniquely focused on their health. That, in turn, means heavy drinking is generally discouraged, making fitness groups an excellent setting for sober alcoholics and others who have stopped drinking to expand their social worlds.
And always remember to just move at your own pace, one step is better than none. For me personally swimming was one of the most favorable options to begin with, you can move around a bit in the water at first and it’s not heavy on your muscles and it’s fun to do. Even a walk around the block will do wonders, no matter how small it is these steps will all add up in the end.
Discover (Sober) Online Communities
The internet is both a blessing and a curse — and while most online interactions are casual and fleeting, online sobriety support groups can help you stay in touch with the recovery world as you expand your social network.
The global nature of online sober communities means you’ll find someone to talk to any time of the day or night. Who knows? The people you meet there may even have tips on building your “IRL” support network.
Consider Joining a Religious Community
If you are a believer, you may find great comfort in attending services regularly and connecting with people coming together around their faith and traditions. Most religious communities offer plenty of opportunities to meet new people and build a robust social network without alcohol.
Religious services may even benefit recovering alcoholics who don’t have strong faith — including agnostics and atheists. Many churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples organize social outings, dinners, and interesting discussions that can expand your social network in no time.
Reconnect with Family and Loved Ones
People with a history of abusing alcohol often sacrifice strong bonds on the altar of alcoholism — but if the bond is strong enough, there may be a way forward. The same relatives and friends who felt the need to distance themselves from you when you were drinking may be ready to welcome you into their lives now that you are sober.
Strengthening your relationships with those who love you most and who support your road to recovery is crucial. Be prepared that reconnecting with people you have a strained relationship with will likely require difficult conversations — including apologies and making amends. However, if your bond can survive alcohol addiction, it can survive anything.
Don’t discard those you may have hurt in the past. Reconnecting can be cathartic for both of you.
Ask for Support
Your efforts to expand your social support network don’t have to focus only on people who never drink. The responsible drinkers in your life will understand your commitment to staying sober and accept you into their social networks if you genuinely connect with them.
Coworkers, neighbors, and friends of friends all have the potential to become people you can ring at 1 am in an emergency. Being open about your road to sobriety helps with that. Explain your struggles and how you overcame them as you get to know people, and you’ll generally earn nothing but respect.
And of course, you are always welcome to join the Stop Drinking Community where you can be yourself, and talk with others just keep in mind that it’s still new and not very active at all but we are hoping more people will join.
A Final Word
If your social network was depleted — by alcohol abuse or your journey to recovery — it’s crucial to realize that every moment is just a snapshot in time. A year, or even six months, can make an amazing difference.
If you’re ready to embrace the world, don’t ever doubt that the world will respond in kind.