Remember that dating while you’re still recovering might endanger your sobriety. It is not a coincidence that professional and self-help drug and alcohol treatment programs advise against beginning a romantic connection when still in the beginning stages of recovery. And for individuals navigating those hazy waters, the conventional wisdom that advises delaying romantic relationships for a year is generally considered a discretionary prescription.

Although romantic relationships are discouraged in the early stages of recovery, Narcotics Anonymous and other 12 Step organizations’ literature admits that they will still happen. The following is an extract from “Living Clean,” a book by Narcotics Anonymous [1]: The advice of our more experienced friends, who tell us to concentrate primarily on our recovery for the first year, is often disregarded by many of us. Isolation, longing, and insecurity are some of our first post-recovery emotions. We still have emotional susceptibility, and our judgment is hazy. We jump into relationships far too often without fully appreciating the challenges they could provide.

Stabilize Your Life First.

Many experts and the 12 steps suggest delaying dating for at least a year after quitting drinking. It’s crucial to make the time and effort to take care of ourselves, create healthy stress-reduction strategies, and make an effort to reduce exposure to circumstances that might cause anxiety in the early stages of recovery. Romantic relationships have the ability to be both challenging and emotionally exhausting as well as stimulating and beneficial. However, having a firm foundation in recovery may enable us to assess how we are doing in the relationship and how the relationship is faring overall.

Co-dependency: The Risks

Sometimes the most isolated phases of recovery are the early ones. In various instances, we’ve had to cut ties with the “people, places, and things” (PP&T) that encouraged our drug usage. While they wait for a new environment for socialization to take effect, many individuals may look for romantic relationships to fill this social hole. Or, even worse, they could forgo their preferred substance in favor of the highs of a brand-new relationship. We’ve gotten into the trap of just substituting one urge with another without recognizing it.

Codependency stems from dependence. Although codependency is often mentioned in regard to unhealthy relationships, it is really a core component of all addictions, whether they include drugs, cognitive patterns, or interpersonal interactions. Therefore, if we establish a romantic relationship too quickly in recovery without first changing or attending to the fundamentals of ourselves, we run the danger of relapsing back into this attitude of dependency.

Seek The Best Advice on Relationships During Recovery at Taylor Recovery Center in Dallas

Ninety per cent of recovery involves admitting you have a problem and attempting to change your behavior. After all, regardless of your chosen therapeutic style, “admitting” we need to change something (or everything) is generally the first crucial step to getting help. The same is true of interpersonal relationships. Being open with oneself, one’s partner and one’s support system is crucial when beginning a relationship when sober. For more information on relationships during recovery, reach out to Taylor Recovery Center in Dallas immediately.