Why You Should Wait to Date

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Why You Should Wait to Date

Experts almost universally advise against making any major life changes in the first year of sobriety – and this includes dating or starting a new relationship. This isn’t to say that you won’t one day be able to fall in love and develop a healthy, lasting relationship – but you’ll need to go slow.

Jumping into a relationship can jeopardize your recovery. Here are a few good reasons why you should wait to date:

  • You need to focus on you and your recovery. Early recovery is not the time to shift your priorities. Getting (and staying) sober is hard work and requires your full attention, without the distraction of a new relationship.
  • You need to get to know the sober you. As the saying goes: “You need to love yourself before you can love someone else.” A big part of recovery is getting to know yourself – and rebuilding your self-worth, self-confidence and self-love. Taking the necessary time to rediscover yourself will also ensure that when you do start dating, you’re able to pick the right type of person for you.
  • You need to learn to deal with your emotions. In early recovery, you’re fragile and vulnerable and you’re likely dealing with a lot of emotional ups and downs. You’re not in the best state of mind to start a relationship, which likely comes with its own set of emotions.
  • You can develop a cross addiction. While the rush that comes along with dating someone new is a healthy part of a relationship, it’s also dangerous for someone in recovery. This is because you can easily become addicted to the “high,” as a replacement to feelings brought on by drug or alcohol use. This is especially dangerous if you’re in recovery from love/relationship, sex and/or porn addiction. What’s more, with dating comes the risk of break-up, which can trigger anger or depression and fuel a desire to self-medicate.

Preventing Relapse at Seabrook
We know that a relapse prevention plan is a critical part of maintaining sobriety. Similarly, don’t ever feel that you’ve slipped too far from recovery to return to addiction treatment. We’re here to support you every step of the journey. To learn more, call: (888) 223-0298.