Your social interactions are a central theme in every stage of development. Intimate relationships are a testament to your humanness and are also vital to both your mental and emotional well-being. Typically, a person’s first social relationships are with family. However, over time, you may find that the most important and influential relationships are those you have with your friends.
A Friend a Day, Keeps a Smile on Your Face
Friends become a major source of socialization and support because most people spend time with others that are experiencing similar life events or share common interests. Friendship provides a unique type of emotional support and social acceptance that can become more significant than even that of a family member. Establishing a network of positive, supportive friends is especially important during transition periods, significant milestones, and periods of hardship.
Defining Friendship
So, what is a friend? There are an infinite amount of answers to that question, each one as unique as the person being asked. Generally, friends can be described as a person you can turn to for information, empathy, advice, assistance, and affection.
They are people that you love to spend time with regardless of the setting or circumstance that brings you together. You can let your guard down and be vulnerable with them. Most importantly, friends are people that affirm, encourage, and inspire you.
Find Your Tribe
Friends influence who you are and what you aspire to be. Therefore, it is imperative to cut all ties to toxic relationships and cultivate a circle of friends that both model and support sobriety.
Recovery rates are higher amongst people that eliminate associations that trigger substance use and build new, more healthy relationships. Participating in peer recovery and group therapy are great ways to meet friends who not only relate to you, but hold you accountable as well. After all, that’s what friends are for.
Overcoming substance use or mental health disorders is difficult, but friends are a great source of support and motivation. People who have at least one close friend are less likely to get ill and more likely to survive health challenges. Valiant Living is an all-male facility in Centennial, CO, specializing in treating co-disorders, drug and alcohol addiction, and matters related to intimacy and relationships. If you or someone you love is in need of support while battling substance use or a mental health disorder, contact us at (303) 952-5035.
